By Ciara Speller | Broadcast Editor
John Allen, Senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, and Senior Vatican analyst for CNN, came to Salve Regina University on October 29th to discuss “Behind the Headlines: Pope Francis and His New Vision for the Catholic Church.”
Allen, the author of seven best selling books on the Vatican and Catholic Affairs, gave his speech in Bazarsky Lecture Hall, where students, faculty and members of the community came out for this exceptional oppurtunity. Allen gave insight into the life of Pope Francis and who he truly is as a person of faith and member of society.
“Four percent of American catholics disapprove of what the new Pope is doing,” Said Allen, stunning the audience with such a high approval rate.
Maybe it is due to his down to earth demeanor, or fact that material goods are not important in his life and spiritual journey.
It might be the fact that during World Youth Day 2013, he decided to walk the streets of Rio de Janerio, interacting with local youth, rather than being driven through the streets in a car with his security left and right.
Pope Francis wishes to be treated like an ordinary person in society, and that connection with the world is what sets him apart from most.
“Mercy” is the most common used word by our Pope, mentioned Allen, which makes him so admirable and favored by most. His humility and compassion for the less fortunate and needy in the world is what makes him so inspirational to many.
“ I was surprisingly impressed with the transformation in Pope Francis’ personality when entering into the Vatican. Until the talk I was unaware that Pope Francis was not always as charismatic as he is understood to be now,” Senior Tara Crimmins mentioned during an interview after Allens lecture .
Allen has been referred to as “the most authoritative writer on Vatican affairs in the English language,” by The London Tablet, and “the best Anglophone Vatican reporter ever” by George Weigel.
After hearing Allen’s lecture, taking away many new and interesting facts on the Pope and his papacy while first handedly seeing his passion and commitment to his work, there is no questioning why he was given these titles.
