New Pope has some very important qualities – Guyana’s Bishop Francis Alleyne

The new leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics worldwide is Pope Francis I, the first Latin American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the first Jesuit. Up until March 13, he was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Head of the Roman Catholic Church in Guyana Bishop Francis Alleyne said as the world looked at the various individuals who seemed to be the forerunner; he was very much there in the minds of those who obviously knew more about him.
“There have been some issues which the Church and the world have been looking at and with the Pope, if these would find results. So whoever it would have been, I think a lot of hope was resting in this,” Bishop Alleyne said.
“The particular individual… has some very important qualities. We are told that he is a man who is very down to earth. Not only being very clear and direct and without too much frills, a man who actually lived very simply. They say he opted for public transport rather than a huge chauffer driven vehicle. He has a very good background of being in various departments and commissions at high level government in the Church. He is very much in touch with that level of things,” the Bishop said.
“When his name was announced and he came on the balcony, just for him to very simply ask the people to pray for him before he would give them the blessing; it left a stamp there right away. It set a tone that this is a man very much aware of people, his own limitations. A message there that whatever he does and what he has to do, it is about the people, coming from them and for them. We just want to invest in that Pope.”
The fact that the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church is from South America has certainly shifted attention from Europe,which is the traditional centre of Catholicism, Bishop Alleyne noted.  “Interestingly too, at the recent meeting of the Bishops of the Antilles, consisting  mainly the English speaking Caribbean, but also including the French and Dutch Islands and territories, it’s very clear to us as Bishops that we are practically unknown in the Vatican. So this certainly would be a possibility of bringing us a little bit more onto the map or into the vision of the wider church.”
The new Pope himself stated in St Peter’s Square in his first address, “As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome, and it seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away … Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace.”
For the Catholics of Guyana at this point in time, the Roman Catholic Bishop said “these moments are always a special opportunity to look at ourselves as a church, as a faith here. We have our own very unique history and realities. The church here is very special, given its particular history and realities… that have made the church what it is. These moments are always very special and looking at that together and allowing it to be an impetus to renew, to close ranks, to treasure what we do have, and looking to that, where we go to the future.”
United States President Barack Obama said the election of the first pontiff from the New World “speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world.”