Francis I resonates in Clare

Francis I, the name taken by Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina on his election as the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church on Wednesday night, will have a special appeal in County Clare.

Francis, who took his name in honour of St Francis of Assisi, becomes Bishop of Kilfenora by way of an age-old edict, while by tradition Liscannor also lays claim to the Pope as parish priest.
The town of Ennis owes it origins to the arrival of the Franciscan Friary in the 13th century. The monastery became a seat of learning on a par with some of the great monasteries in Europe. There is great devotion to St Francis in Ennis in particular, where the Third Order has enjoyed a strong membership over the years. The Poor Clares, a contemplative order of nuns that are part of the Franciscan community, established a convent in Ennis in the late 1950s. Even Ennis Credit Union has adopted St Francis as its patron.
Seventy-six-year-old Pope Francis’ election made history; not only introducing a new name to the long list of pontiffs but also in becoming the first Jesuit priest to lead the Catholic Church and the first Pope from the Americas.
When the new pope appeared on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica more than an hour after the white smoke billowed from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, the crowds in the square below erupted into sustained cheers and applause.
Francis I was not considered to be among the frontrunners marked out before the election.  According to Church observers, while he is a regarded as conservative, he is also seen as a reformer.