New Pope Francis Elected: Catholics in Upper Macungie React

Local Catholics were excited and joyful in the moments following the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires as Pope Francis.

"It's exciting to have a Jesuit as the pope," St. Thomas More teacher Janet Plangemann said. "I'm not really familiar with that cardinal, but I'm excited about going home and reading about him.

Plangemann said that she hopes the new pope will go on and restructure the Vatican Bank.

"I hope he continues in that direction and keeps it moving forward," she said. "I'd like to see him be openly welcoming to other faiths to help keep the dialogue going."

Stephanie Gaughan, also a teacher, said the election of the new pope is an exciting time for the Catholic Church.

"It's the first time in 2,000 years that there's been a pope from The Americas," she said. "I think it's a historic time and that he leads the church into a healthy and united future."

Tania Kulischenko said it's wonderful to have a pope who has lived his life so humbly.

"Since he's lived his life so humbly, he'll pay more attention to lifting up the poor," she said. "Even his choice of name, Francis, is humble. It's great for the poor and I hope he champions them."

Kulischenko said that she hopes the new pope will incorporate youth into the church, just as Pope John Paul II did during his era.

The selection of Pope Francis also was cause for celebration at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Orefield.

Monsignor Robert Wargo said he was surprised but "very pleased with the selection the cardinals made. He seems to be a very holy man, a very godly man, who seems to know what he wants to do with the church."

Wargo said it was a "a real plus" to choose a Spanish-speaker from Latin America to lead the Catholic Church.

"There are so many millions of Catholics in Latin America. I think it's time for their voice to be heard. I think he lived through a lot of conflict in the church and within his own country and would be able to meet those same challenges throughout the world," Wargo said.

There are 270,000 Catholics across the Allentown Diocese, including 67,000 in Lehigh County and 76,000 in Northampton County.

Catholics: What is your wish for your faith in this new chapter? Tell us in the comments section below.

Bergoglio is the first Jesuit—and the first from Latin America—to be named pope.

He has spent nearly his entire career in Argentina, and according to published reports, he has lived modestly, taking the bus to work, cooking his own meals and opting to live in an apartment.  

ABC News Online reported that he is considered a champion of social justice in his country. He also is a conservative, strongly opposing abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception, ABC News reported.  

Bergoglio stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome at 3:22 p.m. Wednesday (8:22 p.m in Rome) to cheering crowds. Just a little over an hour earlier, white smoke had arisen from atop the Sistine Chapel, indicating that the Roman Catholic cardinals had elected a new pope.

Bergoglio succeeds Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned Feb. 28, the first pope to do so in 600 years. He cited advanced age.