They say it is not relevant whether Time agrees with the change or not.

Francis was first nominated to the list in 2013.

Cardinal Blase J Cupich wrote a reflection about Francis with the nomination.

Focusing on his humility, Cupich says Francis always goes to reconciliation before hearing confessions.

He has made it clear from the outset of his papacy that he too is a sinner and says he must go to confession first "because one cannot accompany a suffering world without acknowledging one's own faults".

Cupich says the standards Francis sets for himself are the same as those he sets for other church leaders.

"Before being elected Pope, Francis gave a speech to his fellow Cardinals warning against becoming a ‘self-referential' church, rather than one that goes out of itself to the margins of society to be with those who suffer.

"That is where God is working in the world and where he calls us to be. This has rung especially true this year, as Francis has spoken out on the need to welcome refugees amid a global crisis," he said.

Source

• CNA
• LifeSite
• Image: WNYC

"He took the name of a humble saint and then called for a church of healing," Time wrote in its announcement quoted by CNN. "The septuagenarian superstar is poised to transform a place that measures change by the century."

The new pope "comes at a time when the church seemed to be needing a huge burst of new energy," Time contributor Howard Chua-Eoan said in a video announcing the magazine's decision.

The magazine's international editor, Bobby Ghosh, said Francis' contributions in his short time in office have changed the church's image as well as its substance.

"He's changed perceptions of the church from being this out-of-touch institution to one that is humble and merciful," Ghosh said.

"He's changed the focus of the church from being focused on doctrine to becoming more about service. And he's changed the tone in which the church speaks to one of compassion. It's all about the poor. This is the church as it used to be in its — arguably its best period in the past. And Francis seems to be bringing that back."

He has also opened up church finances and addressed controversial issues other popes have shied away from discussing publicly, Ghosh said.

"He's talking about homosexuality, about giving women a bigger say in the church. These are things that are very, very important. They're not just words. He's actually following them up with action," Ghosh said.

The Vatican welcomed Time's selection, while making it clear the man so widely recognized for his humility didn't seek the award and didn't want its light to shine on him but on the mission of the church.

"We think that the declaration of the Pope as the man of the year is a positive sign. because it is a very prestigious declaration, given to a man that announces the love of God and the peace for all," the Rev. Federico Lombardi told reporters.

"The Pope does not look for honors, but he is happy if his message — his message of the love of good — is received and understood. And then, in this sense, he can be happy of this declaration."

Sources

CNN
Time Magazine
ABC News
Image: Getty Images/CNN