Everyone is aware of the immense popularity Jorge Mario Bergoglio has enjoyed from the day he was elected to the See of Peter. In South Africa, as everywhere else, the Pope is attracting the attention of not only Catholics but also of all those searching for the truth.
Taking advantage of this outpouring of good will toward the Holy Father, the Daughters of St. Paul of Johannesburg organized a conference to help the general public get to know Pope Francis: his background, culture, pastoral vision and preaching.
Those who attended the encounter listened with great interest to the talk of guest speaker, Fr. Gerhard Hattingh, professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Augustine Catholic University and a person of vast pastoral experience.
The purpose of the meeting was to help the participants translate into daily life the attitude of acceptance and hospitality toward all people that the Pope lives, along with his invitation to others to do the same.