The first controversy of Pope Francis' papacy

This story appears in the Pope Francis feature series. View the full series.

Is it "Francis" for St. Francis of Assisi? Or St. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit? Does it reference care for the poor, or evangelization? Or maybe both?

Discuss.

Editor's Note: I don't want to squelch discussion, but in Rome we asked this question,  and Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the new pope chose the name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

--Dennis Coday.

Advertisement