Local Friar Reacts to New Pope
By: Paige Preusse
Updated: March 14, 2013
A local friar reacts to the new pope.
Friar Mark Weaver with Saint Joesph University Parish in Terre Haute believes Pope Francis's Latin American background is a positive thing.
Before coming to Terre Haute, Friar Mark spent many years as a missionary in Honduras and El Salvador.
He says that two-thirds of Catholics in the world now live in the Southern Hemisphere.
Friar Mark hopes that Pope Francis will help them see how universal the church really is.
"I'm impressed with his experience that he brings out of Latin America, living with the poor, riding the bus to work every day, and his commitment to go into the poorest parts of Buenos Aires," said Friar Mark Weaver.
Pope Francis is the first non-European Pontiff since Gregory the III of Syria in the 8th century.
