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Jackie: Pope Benedict 16th was the first pontiff in 600 years to abdicate, so for this week's podcastsinenglish.com, we're talking about the new pope, Pope Francis.
Richard: Yes. And in this age of the Internet, it wasn't Twitter, Facebook or a website that announced the news of a new pope but white smoke coming from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
Jackie: Now, he... so Pope Benedict, Richard, was the first Pope to resign since 1415. Why... why was that?
Richard: He said he couldn't cope with the physical and mental demands of the job.
Jackie: Okay, so we have a new pope but he comes with a few surprises and some firsts, doesn't he?
Richard: Yes. He's relatively old as well um... he's 76 and that is actually only 2 years younger than when Benedict became pope in 2005.
Jackie: I think maybe some people expected a younger man to be the 266th pope, didn't they?
Richard: Yes, but he's got some special things going for him, a lot of firsts. He's the first um...Pope from Latin America, he's from Argentina.
Jackie: Er.... the first Jesuit.
Richard: Yes, and he's also the first Francis and I think he's modelling himself on St. Francis of Assisi.
Jackie: Now who was he, Richard?
Richard: Well, he was um...well, he lived in the 13th century and he was actually quite rich but he gave up his life of luxury and he lived with and for the poor. So um... this Francis is modelling himself on the old Francis with a very humble lifestyle.
Jackie: Yes. He's already been living this humble lifestyle hasn't he, Richard. I mean he used to travel on public transport.
Richard: Yes, he's quite famous for his frugal living um... [he] travels on public transport, the underground, the bus. Even when he flew to... to Rome um... he flew economy class and um... he lived in a very simple flat in Buenos Aires and I think he cooked his own food as well.
Jackie: Cooked his own meals?
Richard: Yes
Jackie: Okay and now um... he's obviously a very new pope but apparently minutes after the election result was declared um... the Master of Ceremonies offered him the special papal cape, the special red cape and he said, “No, I don't want to wear that, the carnival's over.”
Richard: I know. [laughs] And, yeah, one of the first things he did as Pope was pay for his hotel bill and then visit a sick friend in hospital.
Jackie: Yeah. And then we've just had the Inauguration Mass. He's made that shorter and he's had fewer cardinals taking part.
Richard: Yes. He told his fellow bishops in Argentina not to waste money travelling to Rome for his... his installation ceremony but to give the money to the poor instead, which I think is great.
Jackie: So it sounds like the new pope is trying to revive some basic Christian teaching; that can't be a bad thing.
Richard: Yes. The 'Austerity Pope' I think they're nicknaming him er... in... in with the modern times, I suppose.
Jackie: So, a new leader for the world's 1.2 billion Catholic believers. Let's see how he gets on.
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