New Pope: Francis 'A Stunning Name'

UPDATED 4:19 p.m. March 13

People packed the Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and Student Center Wednesday watching white smoke rise from Saint Peter's Square until finally a new Pope Francis emerged.

“I am absolutely thrilled,” said The Rev. John Seda of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, was elected Pope after five votes over two days. He emerged about 2:30 p.m. central time to greet the public as Pope Francis, asking people to first bless him before he blessed the people.

“He looked scared when he came out on the balcony,” Seda said. “Apparently he's a humble guy and shocked to be standing there.”

Seda said he knew little about Francis, but understood that the Argentine man sold the Cardinal's mansion in Argentina and lives in an apartment, cooks his own meals and takes the bus to work.

“Here is a person who deliberately identifies with the poor and a large majority of Catholics in the world are poor,” Seda said.

The name Francis comes from Saint Francis of Assissi the patron saint of Italy. Saint Francis of the Assissi lived during a time when the church was very powerful and wealthy and had a lot of problems. He was known for his simplicity and work for the poor and helped rebuild the church with people, Seda said.

“It's a stunning name to pick,” Seda said.

The name sets the tone for a more humble, more service oriented church, he said.

The selection broke centuries of tradition as The Rev. Jim Secora of Saint Cecilia Church suspected it would. Most members of the church live south of the equator now and Francis comes from Argentina, Secora said. Francis is also the first Jesuit elected to the Papacy.

“This is a historic moment for the church,” Secora said. “It's very exciting it really speaks to the universality of the Catholic Church.”

Area Catholics were watching the Pope selection with a deeper interest knowing that one of their priests had ties to a leading candidate Peter Turkson. The Ghanaian Cardinal ordained the Rev. Richmond Dzekoe who conducts masses at Saint Cecilia, Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Gilbert.

Francis was not among the top candidates named in the media.

“I'm happily shocked. I think it's great. I didn't expect that at all,” Seda said.

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• Ames Church Has Ties to Possible Pope Candidate Peter Turkson