Local Catholic Leaders Pleased With New Pope

The white smoke appeared on Wednesday, signaling that the conclave had chosen Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to be the new head of the Catholic Church. Shortly after, he became Pope Francis.

Most Rev. Paul G. Bootkoski, Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen expressed joy over the election of Pope Francis in a prepared statement. 

"Today, I am most grateful to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, former cardinal of Argentina, who is now known to the world as Pope Francis, for accepting the Lord’s divine call to lead the universal church. History was made today as the first Pope Francis is not only the first South American pope, but the first pope elected outside Europe in over 1,000 years," Bootkoski said.

Msgr. Joseph Kerrigan, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church in New Brunswick also noted the significance of a South American pope leading the global church.

"A Latin American pope is a blessing. I expect to be baptizing more Franciscos and Francisca in coming years," Kerrigan said. "As a Jesuit and longtime leader of a sophisticated Buenos Aires community, Pope Francis has the savvy to tackle worldwide complex needs."

Bootkoski said that the new pope is known for being a man of the people, much like the patron saint whose name he chose to take - St. Francis of Assisi.

"I am confident that he will prove to be a worthy successor to Peter, our first pope, and to our most recent pope, Benedict XVI, who is to be admired for his leadership of the past eight years," she said.

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