by Carol Glatz

No matter how some media may want to spin it, Pope Francis won’t fit into the political categories of left or right, and he will challenge everyone with the truth of the Gospel, said the Vatican’s media adviser.

“Pope Francis is not a politically correct pope,” rather, he is “a loyal son of the church” who presents the hard truths with a heavy dose of mercy, said Greg Burke, senior communications adviser to the Vatican Secretariat of State.

Burke offered his take on decoding the pontiff with his own rundown of “Pope Francis in 10 Words:”

• Mercy – The story of the Prodigal Son is a recurring theme, and the pope repeatedly says that God never tires of forgiving and welcoming His lost children back home. “The church is waiting here for you with open arms,” is the message, Burke said.

• Moxie or courage – “We’re all going to get challenged by Pope Francis. Get ready!” People who live comfortably or live in developed nations will be especially challenged.

• Margins and missions – Francis is continuing with his predecessors’ criticism of a world divided into the haves and have-nots. The pope “is not a fan of cheap grace and feel-good religion. He wants to see Christians who are not afraid to get their hands dirty,” Burke said.

• Prayer – Non-believers often don’t notice how important prayer is for religious life. For example, Blessed Mother Teresa was often looked upon by the secular press as “a social worker wearing a habit.” But, he said, the pope has constantly been stressing the importance of prayer and urging people to pray.

• Encounter – The pope is asking people to embrace a “culture of encounter” where they experience God and meet with others, including non-believers. This attitude of encounter and communion also starts at home, with your family, Burke said.

• Joy – The pope “gets a thumb’s up on that,” he said, because he’s able to show his joy so plainly. According to Pope Francis, he said, the biggest dangers and temptations in life are “discouragement, discord, the doldrums and the devil.”

• Service – By paying his hotel bill in person (even though he had just been elected pope), phoning people who write to him and doing other tasks that aides could do, the pope is leading by example. The message is: “It’s not about power or privilege; if we’re here, we’re here to serve.”

• Simplicity and humility – Living in a Vatican guest house instead of the apostolic palace and carrying his own briefcase on a trip are just part of how the pope is.

• Compassion – “Compassion and suffering with others is something Pope Francis has a knack for,” Burke said, and it’s especially evident when he embraces people and is totally present one-on-one with an individual, even in large crowds.

• Energy – The 76-year-old pope “has a lot of energy and we’re going to be in for an interesting ride!”[hr] Carol Glatz is a reporter for Catholic News Service.