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國際時事跟讀 Ep.K987: Pope Francis: The Pope Who Revolutionized the Church
Highlights 主題摘要：
- Pope Francis reformed the Catholic Church with his humble approach, choosing to live simply and focusing on serving marginalized communities rather than exercising power.
- Despite criticism from conservatives, Francis made significant changes including improving women's roles in the Vatican and revising Church positions on the death penalty.
- Francis's final wishes for a simple burial with minimal ornamentation reflect his lifelong commitment to humility and his vision for a less ostentatious Church.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff who led the Catholic Church for 12 years with his distinctive humble approach, died on 21st April at the age of 88. The Vatican announced that he passed away due to a stroke that put him into a coma and ultimately led to heart failure. His death came just one day after his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, where he blessed thousands in St. Peter's Square and met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis had suffered from chronic lung disease throughout his life and had recently spent 38 days in hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
方濟各（Pope Francis），第一位拉丁美洲籍教宗，以其獨特謙遜作風帶領天主教會十二年，於四月二十一日辭世，享年八十八歲。梵蒂岡宣布，他因中風陷入昏迷，最終導致心臟衰竭而離世。他的離世僅在復活節星期日最後一次公開露面的隔天，當時他在聖彼得廣場為數千名信眾祝福，並會見了美國副總統范斯。方濟各出生於阿根廷布宜諾斯艾利斯，本名 Jorge Mario Bergoglio ，他一生飽受慢性肺病之苦，最近因呼吸危機發展為雙側肺炎而住院三十八天。
From his first greeting of "Buonasera" ("Good evening") on the night of his election in March 2013, Francis signaled a dramatic shift in papal style. He opted to live in the Vatican hotel rather than the Apostolic Palace, wore his old shoes instead of the traditional red papal loafers, and traveled in compact cars - all reflecting his vision for a "poor church that is for the poor." His famous response "Who am I to judge?" when asked about a gay priest sent a powerful message of welcome to LGBTQ+ Catholics who had felt excluded by the Church. Throughout his papacy, Francis consistently chose to visit marginalized communities and poor countries rather than centers of global Catholicism, demonstrating his commitment to those on society's peripheries.
從二零一三年三月當選之夜的第一聲問候「晚安（Buonasera）」開始，方濟各就預示了教宗風格的巨大轉變。他選擇住在梵蒂岡旅館而非教宗座宮，穿著舊鞋而非傳統的紅色教宗便鞋，搭乘小型車輛出行——這一切都反映了他對「為窮人服務的貧窮教會」的願景。當被問及一位同性戀神父時，他那句著名的回應「我是誰能去評判？」向曾感到被教會排除在外的 LGBTQ+ 天主教徒傳達了一個強而有力的歡迎訊息。在其任期內，方濟各始終選擇訪問邊緣社區和貧困國家，而非全球天主教中心，展現了他對社會邊緣群體的承諾。
Francis made significant changes to Church positions on key issues without altering core doctrines. He declared the death penalty "inadmissible in all circumstances" and stated that even the possession of nuclear weapons was "immoral." He added women to important decision-making roles within the Vatican and allowed them to vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings. His outspoken criticisms of capitalism and urgent calls for action on climate change earned him praise from progressives but alienated many conservatives within the Church, creating tensions that persisted throughout his papacy.
方濟各在不改變核心教義的前提下，對教會在關鍵問題上的立場做出了重大改變。他宣布死刑「在所有情況下都不可接受」，並表示即使擁有核武器也是「不道德的」。他讓女性在梵蒂岡擔任重要決策角色，並允許她們在定期的梵蒂岡會議中與主教一同投票。他對資本主義的直言批評和對氣候變遷採取行動的緊急呼籲贏得了進步人士的讚賞，但疏遠了教會內的許多保守派，造成了在其任期內持續存在的緊張關係。
The pope's funeral will be held in the Vatican on Saturday, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend. Following his own instructions for simplicity, Francis will be buried in a single coffin at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a church outside Vatican walls that he frequently visited. His tomb will be "in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation," with only the Latin word "Franciscus" written on it. This humble final resting place embodies the revolutionary approach of a pope who, according to Vatican correspondent Christopher White, "stripped down the funeral rites to ensure that in death he can offer one final lesson in symbolism for a church which, he hopes, will continue on a path toward humility."
教宗的葬禮將於週六在梵蒂岡舉行，預計將有數十萬人出席。依照他本人希望簡樸的指示，方濟各將被安葬在單一棺木中，安放於他經常訪問的梵蒂岡城牆外的聖母大殿（Basilica of St. Mary Major）。他的墓穴將是「簡單的地下墓穴，沒有特別的裝飾」，只刻有拉丁文「Franciscus」。根據梵蒂岡記者克里斯托弗・懷特（Christopher White）的說法，這個低調普通的最後安息所體現了這位教宗的革命性作風，「他簡化了葬禮儀式，確保在死亡中他能為教會提供一個最後的象徵性教訓，他希望教會能繼續走上謙遜之路。」
Keyword Drills 關鍵字：
- Distinctive [adjective. having a special quality that makes something different and easy to recognize]: Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff who led the Catholic Church for 12 years with his distinctive humble approach, died on Monday at the age of 88.
- Respiratory [adjective. related to breathing or the system in the body that helps you breathe]: Francis had suffered from chronic lung disease throughout his life and had recently spent 38 days in hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
- Outspoken [adjective. saying exactly what you think without being afraid of criticism]: His outspoken criticisms of capitalism and urgent calls for action on climate change earned him praise from progressives but alienated many conservatives within the Church.
- Ornamentation [noun. decorations that make something look more attractive]: His tomb will be "in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation," with only the Latin word "Franciscus" written on it.
- Humility [noun. the quality of not thinking you are better than others; being modest and not proud]: This humble final resting place embodies the revolutionary approach of a pope who stripped down the funeral rites to ensure that in death he can offer one final lesson in symbolism for a church which, he hopes, will continue on a path toward humility.
Reference article:
1. https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/23/what-we-know-about-the-funeral-of-pope-francis