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Person of the Year, pope for our era

As Time magazine's Person of the Year, Pope Francis has defined his mission of reform, rehabilitation and healing.

Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican December 11, 2013.  REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito  (VATICAN - Tags: RELIGION) - RTX16DQB
Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Dec. 11, 2013. — REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito

Time magazine's choice of Pope Francis as the Person of the Year is a testimony to a person who has made healing his principal priority.

Pope Francis defined the church as a "field hospital” and his message to the Vatican bureaucrats and clergy was: “Don’t just preach; listen. Don’t scold; heal.”

These admonitions reveal his intent not only to reform and rehabilitate but also humanize.

In the first nine months of his papacy, Pope Francis brought what appeared to be complex to simple understanding. For example, his denouncement of trickle-down economics shows the priority of his commitment to the empowerment of the world's poor.

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