SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) -
Metro Detroit Catholics are sharing in the excitement over the election of the new pope. Local parishioners have been celebrating mass and offering prayers.
Many people are excited about the new leader of the Catholic Church not only because of where he is from, but what he represents. We spoke to one woman who knew him from her homeland and feels this was a perfect choice.
"I saw the white smoke and I was excited thinking who would be our next leader?" said Marisa Vescio Bruzewski. "Then I heard Cardinal Bergoglio and I [saw] him coming out, and I was very moved."
The announcement moved her to tears. She's not only from Argentina, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was the archbishop at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires. Bruzewski was part of the choir and often played the piano during his mass.
"I would have conversations with him, and he was always the most humble priest and cardinal I have ever known," she said.
Nearly 500 million of the world's Catholics live in Latin America, but this is the first chosen to lead the Catholic Church. His name was chosen in honor of St. Francis of Assisi because he, too, catered to the poor.
Bruzewski remembers the 76-year-old as he is known, a simple man with simple needs.
"He would take the bus to go to work every day like middle class people," Bruzewski explained. "He would cook his own meals, and also whenever there [were] bishop meetings, he would sit in the last row of the meeting."
Shortly after the announcement, Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron held a prayer service at the Sacred Heart Seminary. He thanked God for this election, a man he hopes will evangelize and reorganize the Catholic faithful.
"He'll be a leader who wants to connect with individuals and to be sensitive to what people care about," said Vigneron.
Like his predecessor, Pope Francis has conservative views when it comes to abortion, contraception and same-sex marriage.
The archbishop finds comfort in knowing he will uphold the church's convictions.
"Where we to abandon them, we would be like physicians who didn't tell their patients that certain forms of behavior are not really in their best interest," Vigneron remarked.
Regina Baur brought her three sons to the prayer service because she, too, believes the papal pick will unify the Catholic Church, that has been going through some turbulent times.
"I think he will show by his example of welcoming those even in discord with him, but still standing firm in what he believes," she said.
With everything that Catholic Church has been going through, although he is very conservative, many appreciate that Pope Francis is so down to earth.
Marisa Vescio Bruzewski said the new pope is a humble man. (Credit: Fox 2 News)
