The differences between pontiffs is already evident

In his first Mass as pope, Francis showed how different he would be as a pastor, giving an off-the-cuff homily about the need to walk with God, build up his Church, and confess — at one point referring to children building sandcastles on the beach.

The differences between pontiffs is already evident

It was a far simpler message than the dense, three-page discourse Benedict delivered in Latin during his first Mass as pope in 2005.

The difference in style was a sign of Francis’s belief that the Catholic Church needs to be at one with the people it serves and not impose its message on a society that often doesn’t want to hear it, according to Francis’s authorised biographer, Sergio Rubin.

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