Although I’m not Catholic, I am very pleased to hear that the Vatican has elected a pope from South America. It’s long overdue. The continent provides 40% of the world’s Catholics, and no one institution has had such an influence over this continent. At one stage (1609-1768), it even presided over a utopian state, here in Paraguay (pictured) managed by the Jesuits.
Although I’m not Catholic, I am very pleased to hear that the Vatican has elected a pope from South America. It’s long overdue. The continent provides 40% of the world’s Catholics, and no one institution has had such an influence over this continent. At one stage (1609-1768), it even presided over a utopian state, here in Paraguay (pictured) managed by the Jesuits.
Here, for the first time, it was recognised that an Amerindian had a right to kill a white man in his own defence (1644), and the astronomical observatory at Cosme brought us news of Saturn long before anyone else.
In my travels, I have also come across many instances where the Catholic church has stood up to dictatorship and abuses of power (again, for example, in Paraguay). I am sorry to hear that the new pope has no track record of opposing the juntas of Argentina … but let’s hope he proves his mettle in other ways.
