White smoke billowed above St. Peter's Square Wednesday afternoon, signalling that Catholics worldwide have a new leader. Catholics in Coventry and around Rhode Island reacted to the first South American pope.
Readers began to react to the election on Coventry Patch's Facebook page Wednesday afternoon soon after the announcement:
Andee Clauson: Would've been nice to have a younger and/or American, but God has helped to make this choice, so it be!
Leslie Ingalls: Old men electing old men does not solve the church's many many problems. O'Malley would have been a better choice.
Jared Walker: I would like to see him not cover up child molestation.
The Vatican released Pope Francis' biography Wednesday afternoon. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, is Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was ordained Jesuit in December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel.
He is a Jesuit intellectual who travels by bus and persuaded hundreds of Argentinians not to fly to Rome to celebrate with him when he bacame cardinal, but instead to give the money they would have spent on plane tickets to the poor. He was a fierce opponent of Argentinas decision to legalise gay marriage in 2010, reports the Guardian, arguing children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother. He believes in contraception to prevent the spread of disease, is open to dialogue with other faiths and is not facing questions over any abuse scandals, the British newspaper reported.
What do you think of the selection of Pope Francis? What direction do you think he should take the Catholic Church? Let us know in the comments section below.