Time Magazine Person of the Year—The People's Pope

Wow! Pope Francis is really making an impact on the world, his humility and practical Christianity is showing people the person of Jesus. The latest demonstration of the power of Pope Francis' ministry is this:

Time Magazine have named the Holy Father their Person of the Year for 2013:

“For pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world’s largest church to confronting its deepest needs, and for balancing judgment with mercy, Pope Francis is Time’s 2013 Person of the Year,” Time said in its announcement.

This is the third time a Catholic pope has been selected by Time to receive this accolade. Bl. Pope John Paul II was selected in 1994 and Bl. Pope John XXIII was chosen in 1962.

The magazine's cover story states:

“At a time when the limits of leadership are being tested in so many places, along comes a man with no army or weapons, no kingdom beyond a tight fist of land in the middle of Rome but with the immense wealth and weight of history behind him, to throw down a challenge. The world is getting smaller; individual voices are getting louder; technology is turning virtue viral, so his pulpit is visible to the ends of the earth. When he kisses the face of a disfigured man or washes the feet of a Muslim woman, the image resonates far beyond the boundaries of the Catholic Church.”

Time shortlisted 10 other finalists who were: President Obama, NSA leaker Edward Snowden, Syria President Bashar Assad, Iran President Hassan Rouhani, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Edith Windsor, and singer Miley Cyrus.

Fr. Federico Lombardi, responding for the Vatican said 

”The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honors, but if the choice of Person of Year helps spread the message of the Gospel — a message of God’s love for everyone — he will certainly be happy about that.”

I think that probably sums it up perfectly. What a great joy this is because it shows that people are really being moved and touched by our Holy Father! I hope and pray that this leads to an openness of heart that allows them to embrace the Gospel message he so powerfully lives out. This is Time’s video explaining why they chose the Holy Father as their “Person of the Year”