Pope Francis is a ‘Wonder Choice,” Catholic Leaders Say

Many local leaders were pleased when Jorge Mario Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony above St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, and are looking forward to the leadership of Pope Francis.

“[Pope Francis] is a man from the new heartland of the global Church; a priest of extraordinary intellectual and cultural strengths; a man deeply engaged in the issues of contemporary life and able to speak to the modern heart; open to the new realities the Church faces; and rooted in a deep love of Jesus Christ,” said Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput.

Francis, of Argentina, is known for his humble way of life; he rides a bus to work and lives with an older priest in a simple apartment instead of a luxurious residence meant for his former title, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

“My initial reaction was that he was not clad in any elaborate vestments,” Rev. Kevin Gallagher, Archdiocese of Philadelphia vocations director, told Philly.com. 

Francis is also the first Jesuit to become Pope, and the first to take the name Francis.

“He is a wonderful choice; a pastor God sends not just to the Church but to every person of good will who honestly yearns for justice, peace and human dignity in our time,” Chaput said. “May God grant him courage and joy, and sustain him with his divine presence.

Senator Pat Toomey also commented on the selection.

"The Catholic Church is the largest charitable, healthcare and educational institution in the world, and the spiritual home to 1.2 billion Catholics around the globe,” Toomey said.  “The new Holy Father Francis has an immense task ahead of him and I pray that God will uphold him with strength, wisdom and courage to take on the challenges and beauty of his new role."

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