For his name as pope, Jorge Bergoglio chose one that harks back eight centuries to St. Francis of Assisi, a man who renounced a life of privilege, gave away everything he owned, wore a coarse woolen tunic, lived in a hut and took a vow of poverty.
It was a bold move. There has never been a Pope Francis. For the record, the Vatican said Wednesday that the name is Francis and nothing more — there is no Roman numeral after the name.
Bergoglio is a Jesuit, not a Franciscan, but his chosen lifestyle has a distinctly Franciscan quality to it. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he gave up many of the luxuries he would have enjoyed in that position. He had no driver, rode the bus, cooked his own meals and lived in a simple apartment rather than a palatial home.