Community Corner

St. Bart's Pastor Says New Pope is an "Excellent Choice"

The Rev. Thomas Walsh was like millions of other Catholics on Wednesday, in front of the television watching the announcement.

Millions of Catholics from around the world celebrated Wednesday when the church announced its newest leader, and the Rev. Thomas Walsh of St. Bartholomew’s R.C. Church was no different.

“He’s an excellent choice,” said Walsh. “He’s the right choice at the moment. He has great humility, intellect and a love of the poor. We need someone like that to show the face of Jesus to the world.”

The eyes of that world were focused on the Vatican this month after Pope Benedict XVI announced that he would be resigning from his duties as pontiff. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit and archbishop of Buenos Aires, was chosen this week to replace him.

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Walsh said the church’s new leader, now Pope Francis, is more than suited to meet its needs.

“Forty-two percent of Roman Catholics come from Latin America, so the focus of the global church certainly has to be with the third world, and this is a great lift to them, to the Latin American Church,” said Walsh. "We think of Brazil, and all that’s going on, and the development of the world, and it’s great to have a pope be a part of that."

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Walsh was ecstatic when speaking Thursday morning, close to the excitement he felt the day before when he was watching the announcement on TV.

“It’s just wonderful,” he said. “There’s nothing quite like a conclave and the election of a pope, because it’s an extraordinary event. A once in a lifetime event if you’re there.”

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