Bishop Wall on new Holy Father: "We heard the news of great joy"

“You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18).

Today, March 13, 2013 in the City of Rome, we heard the news of “great joy”: “Habemus Papum”- “We have a Pope”. We are blessed to have as the successor of Saint Peter, Jorge Cardinal Mario Bergoglio, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He will now be known to the world as Pope Francis I.

Please join me in supporting our Holy Father with our prayers, love and support. As Pope Francis I so beautifully demonstrated for us as he led us in prayer for his predecessor, let us pray to the Lord that He will grant our new Pontiff grace, strength and humility to faithfully serve as the Vicar of Christ on earth and lead all people into a deeper relationship with Christ and His Church.

Saint Peter, pray for us.

Bishop James S. Wall is the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Gallup. Follow him on Twitter.