Roman Catholics call it “the Francis effect”, the way the new Pope is paring down the inherited pomp of his office to become more accessible. No more dainty red Prada shoes or fully tricked out Mercedes-Benz, like his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Francis I wears plain black shoes and is driven in an old Ford Focus. He refers to himself as “bishop” rather than “Pope” and has refused the papal apartments, deeming them too lavish. He has chosen to stay instead in the Vatican guest house, where he can have breakfast in the communal dining room with visiting priests.
新任教皇收斂起前任留下的排場，變得更加平易近人，羅馬天主教徒稱之為“方濟各效應”。方濟各(Francis I)不再像前任本篤十六世(Benedict XVI)那樣腳穿精致的紅色普拉達(Prada)鞋，乘坐奢華的梅賽德斯-奔馳(Mercedes-Benz)轎車，而是踏著樸素的黑鞋，搭乘一輛舊的福特?？怂?Ford Focus)。他自稱為“主教”(bishop)而非“教皇”(Pope)，不愿搬進在他看來太過豪華的教皇寓所。相反，他選擇住在梵蒂岡的招待所，在公共飯廳與來訪的神父共進早餐。