In an announcement made by TIME on Wednesday morning, the Pontiff was given  the honor for his impact on the global stage, stated TIME’s managing editor  Nancy Gibbs.

“He really stood out to us as someone who has changed the tone and the  perception and the focus of one of the world’s largest institutions in an  extraordinary way,” said Gibbs.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi, spokesman for Vatican City, said in remarks to  the media that the honor was not a surprise.

“The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honors…But if  the choice of Person of Year helps spread the message of the Gospel – a message  of God’s love for everyone – he will certainly be happy about that,” said  Lombardi, as reported by the AP.

[Blog Editor Note:]

This is how God’s love expressed…

John 3:16-18

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The Gospel is a conditional truth, NOT an Univeral truth.  It expresses within it the unconditional love of God for ALL, for he died for all. Yet we are saved and justified by faith in God’s goodness, NOT simply because of his goodness.In other words Salvation is not automatic!

See the following article on Pope Francis and the Catholic version of Salvation

https://coercioncode.com/2013/09/13/pope-francis-makes-room-for-atheists/

Formerly Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentinian clergyman was elected  Pope in March after his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, opted to resign over  health issues.

 Noted as being the first Pontiff to hail from Latin America, Francis was also  noteworthy for being the first member of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, to  become head of the Catholic Church.

Since becoming Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis has garnered many headlines for  his remarks on issues like abortion, homosexuality, atheism and capitalism.

Photos of the Pontiff embracing a severely deformed man and washing the feet  of female inmates have gone viral online.

Many have even spoken of a “Pope Francis Effect,” wherein the Pontiff’s  apparent change of tone has led many disaffected Catholics, especially in Europe  and Latin America, to return to their church home.

First done in 1927 and originally known as the “Man of the Year” award,  TIME’s annual honor goes to a person – good or bad – whom TIME’s editorial  leadership believes most impacted the news for the year. In 2012, President  Barack Obama won the honor and in 2013 was on the list of the 10 finalists for  consideration.

Others whom the Pontiff beat out for the honor were  Syrian President Bashar Assad, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Republican Sen. Ted  Cruz, Miley Cyrus, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, gay rights activist Edith  Windsor, NSA leaker Edward Snowden, and Health and Human Services Department  head Kathleen Sebelius.