Mercy International Association Statement on Pope Francis

Mercy International Association joins the universal church in gratitude for the election of our new Pope, Francis.

We join with people throughout the world in hope and prayer for our new pope "that the Lord may bless him and that Our Lady may keep him".

Information about Pope Francis can be found in the article below

Cardinals elect Pope Francis, Argentinean Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio

‘Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentinean Jesuit who is the first in his order and the first from Latin America to hold the see of Peter, has been elected the 266th bishop of Rome and leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

Appearing on a balcony of St. Peter's Basilica about an hour and 10 minutes after white smoke from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel first signaled his election, Bergoglio was introduced by his birth name with the traditional proclamation of the Latin phrase "Habemus papam" ("We have a pope").

Then came pronouncement of the choice of his papal name: Francis.

He is the first pontiff to choose the name. Initially, there was media speculation of whether he meant to honor either the 12th-century St. Francis of Assisi, known for his simple lifestyle and dedication to the works of mercy, or St. Francis Xavier, a 16th-century Spanish Jesuit priest known for his efforts to evangelize, particularly in Asia; or both.

Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the new pope chose the name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.’

Joshua J. McElwee | Mar. 13, 2013 from the National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)