Bishop Vásquez on the election of Pope Francis

Dear friends:  I want to thank all of you for joining together in prayer as we have just witnessed the wonderful news which was announced in Rome.  Habemus Papam – We have a Pope! He is Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Our new Holy Father has taken the name Francis.

As the Bishop of the Diocese of Austin, we are grateful to God for giving us Pope Francis to be the Successor of St. Peter. I ask all the faithful of the Diocese of Austin to join me in prayer with grateful thanks to God. Let us pray for Pope Francis that he be filled with the strength of the Holy Spirit.  May he be a joyful servant of the Gospel and have the compassionate heart of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.