Hispanics show surprise, joy over papal election

Local Hispanic Catholics impressed by Pope Francis’ love of the poor, humility

Published: March 21, 2013

By Dwain Hebda
Associate Editor

Dwain Hebda

Olga Rios, a parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Conway, is among thousands of Hispanic Catholics in Arkansas inspired by the election of history's first Latin pontiff, Pope Francis.

Dwain Hebda

Olga Rios, a parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Conway, is among thousands of Hispanic Catholics in Arkansas inspired by the election of history's first Latin pontiff, Pope Francis.

Hispanic Catholics expressed optimism and pride in the wake of the election of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff. But many confessed to another initial emotion as the chain of events unfolded on March 13 — disbelief.

“I was shocked, and like most Catholics, my first thought was, ‘Who?’” said Father Juan Manjarrez, associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers. “But of course, for people from Latin America, it’s great to see a pope who is from there. It was very powerful.”

The diocese’s only Argentine priest said, “I was confused. I could not hear or understand his name very well and it sounded very Italian to me.” Father Ruben Quinteros, vice prefect of the House of Formation in Little Rock, added, “I think I was the last one to realize, ‘We have a new pope! And he is Argentinean!’”

The initial shock turned to unbridled joy among clergy and laypeople alike, emotion that only intensified in the days following the historic election. At a retreat of the Escuela de Evangelización San Andrés (St. Andrew School of Formation) held March 14-17 at St. John Center in Little Rock, dozens of Hispanics from across the nation and as far away as Brazil gathered to celebrate their common faith and heritage; things they suddenly held with the leader of the Universal Church.

“I am so happy, I can’t believe it,” said Lourdes Ramirez, a delegate from Sonora, Mexico. “I don’t know about him, but he makes me feel like he is like you and like me. I can see in his eyes what he is and I feel so close to him.”

Olga Rios, a parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Conway, said learning about the pope’s ministry in the slums of Buenos Aires and his rejection of many of the trappings of his station immediately endeared him to her.

“He’s very humble, he doesn’t think about money,” she said. “He’s with the poor people and he works for them like we work for our families. He knows us.”

Father Mauricio Carrasco, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, and associate pastor at St. Theresa Church in Little Rock, had little time to gather his thoughts between the announcement and celebrating Mass in Spanish Wednesday evening, March 13. He said he could see the magnitude of the moment written on the congregation’s faces and in his homily he said simply, “We have a pope who speaks our language.”

Having time to reflect, he said the impact of Pope Francis in the Hispanic world is visceral. Catholicism in many parts of Latin America is ingrained into the culture like nowhere else in the world; a passionate devotion that directs and shapes daily life. Given that, Father Carrasco said, it’s not surprising the level of emotion many Hispanics assign to Pope Francis’ election.

“In the U.S. we are highly educated; we intellectualize faith and as a result, a lot of the mystery is lost,” he said. “That’s not true in Latin America. It’s a much more pious devotion. God is very real. And, they see any pope as Peter and they love him.

“I called my mom (in Springdale) after the announcement and she was crying. She said she had been praying in front of the Sacred Heart that God and the Virgin Mary protect and guide the new pope. And I guarantee you there were thousands of mothers in Mexico and Argentina and throughout Latin America who did exactly the same thing. How beautiful is that?”

Hispanic clergy are already taking inspiration from Pope Francis’ vocational life as they conduct their own ministry to the faithful of Arkansas. Deacon Marcelino Luna, director of the diocese’s Hispanic ministry, said he is eager to see how Pope Francis addresses the challenges facing the Church as it will set the tone for all others in consecrated life.

“I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what this means, and it came to me that God has once again heard the call of his people,” he said. “The challenges are everywhere with humankind. Today we see an indifference to God and a lack of knowledge of God that is creating a lot of hurt. Pope Francis is God’s response to the world, and while my knowledge of what a pope faces is limited, I believe I am called to my life as a deacon in the same way.”

“I believe he will be a pope who will lead us by example,” said Father Quinteros. “St. Francis of Assisi received the Lord’s call to ‘rebuild the Church in ruins’. Pope Francis is showing us that he has received from the Lord a call to rebuild the Church in a sense that we cannot see yet, but I am sure the Holy Spirit is revealing to him.”