AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Jorge Bergoglio was elected the new pope Wednesday afternoon becoming the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years. Amarillo's Catholic Bishop held a press conference to express his feelings on the new pope.
"I think the effect will be positive and not negative," said Bishop Patrick J. Zurek. "They're going to look at him as a Latino."
Zurek states that he doesn't believe him being from Argentina will affect his reign as pope. "It doesn't matter the color or the nationality or the culture. When that cardinal is elected and he puts on the white, he's the Holy Father." He believes that people will still show as much love to his pope as they would any other.
He also does not believe that the new pope would really affect Catholic churches in Amarillo. "It doesn't really affect the church so much locally other than maybe his teachings."
