Papa Francis atajwa MTU wa MWAKA 2013

 

Pope Francis (left) comforted Vinicio Riva, a 52-year-old Italian who had travelled to Rome for a audience in Saint Peter's Square in November

Pope Francis has been named 2013 Person of the Year by Time magazine - edging out NSA whistleblower and fugitive Edward Snowden into second place.

Pope Francis, 76, who was elected in March to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, was announced as the winner this morning by Time magazine editor Nancy Gibbs

'So much of what he has done in the brief nine months in this office changed the tone of what’s coming out of the Vatican,' said Gibbs this morning about the person who Time editors dubbed 'The People's Pope'.

Describing Francis' transformative role in his short time as pontiff, Time magazine said that 'Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly.'

'In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very center of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power.'

'It was a very interesting choice this year,' said managing editor Nancy Gibbs on Wednesday.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told Today in a statement that '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.'

Picha na Daily Mail

Pope Francis has been named as person of the year by Time magazine. The pontiff – the first-ever South American pope, was chosen as the person who had the greatest impact on the world, for good or bad, during the last year. Time managing editor Nancy Gibbs said the former Argentinean Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had changed the tone, the perception and focus of one of the world’s largest institutions in an extraordinary way. Commenting, Vatican spokesman the Rev Federico Lombardi said: ‘The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honours. ‘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.’ It was the third time a Catholic pope had been Time’s selection. John Paul II was selected in 1994 and John XXIII was chosen in 1962.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000099930&story_title=pope-francis-named-person-of-the-year-by-time-magazine