RE: Umm, he’s Pope Francis, not Pope Frances.
I’m quite certain that his original self-designation was the Italian — FRANCESCO.
We call that Francis in English.
The French call it Francois.
The Albanian call it Franescu (so do the Corsicans ).
Croatians call it Franjo
The Dutch use the name Frans
The Germans, Franziskus
The Japanese, Furanshisu
The Poles, Franciszek
The Latin name is Franciscus
The Spanish and Portuguese speakers everywhere use the name — Francisco. This is what he will be known as in South America.
PAPA FRANCISCO UNO.
The original designation was in Latin, Franciscus, as that’s the language used in the announcement:
“The cardinal proto-deacon of the Catholic Church, Jean Louis-Taran, announced the news to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square, with the traditional words:
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam.
Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Georgium Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglium.
Qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum.
Translated:
I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope:
The most eminent and honorable lord, Lord Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio of the Holy Roman Church,
Who has taken for himself the name Francis.”
In South America, at least in the Spanish-speaking countries of that continent, he is known as Francisco Primero. (Remember, he is Francis the First, not Francis One.)
My comment about his name being “Francis, not Frances,” was a tongue-in-cheek response to a poster who described him (due to a typo, I assume) as “the first Latina pope.”
It will be strange on Sunday, hearing the prayer for “Nuestro Papa, Francisco.” My son Francis will be wondering why he was mentioned, if he’s paying any attention. (He’s 3 ;-).