When Pope Francis Was Dazzled By A Girl!
Manama: In a surprising revelation, Pope Francis has said that he had to make a choice between hid love for a girl or a being a priest while he was training to be a priest in his youth.
The revelation came as the Pope highlighted the role of women in the Bible and the history of Christianity but gave no indication that he wished to soften the Vatican's ban on female clergy or celibacy rules for priests, Gulf News reports.
According to the report, Pope Francis had met the young woman at a relative's wedding while training to be a priest in his native Argentina but eventually turned his back on the budding romance and resolved to follow a life of celibacy, as revealed in a book 'On Heaven and Earth' written by him which will be published in English next month.
According to his account in the book, the Pope was bowled over by the beauty and the spirit of the girl and could not pray for over a week even when he returned to the seminary which made him rethink his choice.
However, Pope Francis revealed that he finally decided to choose priesthood as his true calling and became a Jesuit priest in 1960.
Pope Francis has established a much more informal, man-of-the-people style in comparison with his predecessor, although the book shows that the new Pope is as doctrinally conservative as Benedict XVI, the report added.
The revelation came as the Pope highlighted the role of women in the Bible and the history of Christianity but gave no indication that he wished to soften the Vatican's ban on female clergy or celibacy rules for priests, Gulf News reports.
According to the report, Pope Francis had met the young woman at a relative's wedding while training to be a priest in his native Argentina but eventually turned his back on the budding romance and resolved to follow a life of celibacy, as revealed in a book 'On Heaven and Earth' written by him which will be published in English next month.
According to his account in the book, the Pope was bowled over by the beauty and the spirit of the girl and could not pray for over a week even when he returned to the seminary which made him rethink his choice.
However, Pope Francis revealed that he finally decided to choose priesthood as his true calling and became a Jesuit priest in 1960.
Pope Francis has established a much more informal, man-of-the-people style in comparison with his predecessor, although the book shows that the new Pope is as doctrinally conservative as Benedict XVI, the report added.
Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle
