61°
SCARSDALE, N.Y. – As the Roman Catholic church prepares to mark Easter, the election of a new pope has given it another reason to celebrate, said the Rev. Sebastin Bacatan, pastor of St. Pius X in Scarsdale.
“It’s also a kind of celebration for the church, having this new leader in our community,” he said. “We’re really excited that we have a new pope and having a pope from Latin America says so much about where the Catholic Church is heading.”
Monsignor John Ferry, pastor of the Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary, was also happy with the selection of Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as the 265th successor of St. Peter.
“I was surprised, but I’m delighted he’s from the Americas, and I think he’ll be a real breath of fresh air for the church,” he said.
Bergoglio chose the name Francis, which Ferry and Bacatan said shows his humility and understanding that there is work to be done.
“Just learning more about him, I think he would like to have that kind of spirituality that embraces the ministry towards the poor,” Bacatan said.
Pope Francis was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was born Dec. 17, 1936. He was ordained for the Jesuits in 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel.
He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology.
He was created and proclaimed cardinal by John Paul II in February 2001.
Comments