History was made when Pope Francis was elected as the first pontiff from Latin America.
The former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope yesterday afternoon. Not only Argentineans but Latin Americans all over are excited about his election.
“I’m not catholic but very proud for someone to represent for Latin Americans,” says Christy Lopez, a sophomore Nursing major, “To have that high of a position is a big deal.”
It is tradition for the Pope to choose a name for himself. Unlike most of the recent pontiffs, Pope Francis chose not to have a numeral after his name. Pope Francis chose his name to honor St Francis of Assisi, a servant to the poor.
He has been known to care for people who are vey sick including those with AIDS. He broke tradition in his very first public appearance by asking more than 150,000 people in St. Peter’s Square to pray for him instead of blessing the crowd first.
“I like how he represents the common Latin American. It is good for our culture,” Lopez said.
