Valley Bishop speaks on election of Pope Leo XIV

SAN JUAN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Many people were already arriving at the basilica of San Juan to attend the 11:30 a.m. mass on Thursday when white smoke came out of the Vatican.

A short time later, American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was named the new pope.

He is the first American to head the Catholic Church worldwide. He will go by the name of Pope Leo XIV.

The bells started ringing in San Juan and mass opened with Father Mario Castro saying the famous words,"Havemos papa."

People in the Rio Grande Valley and across the world are filled with emotion.

However, one thing is clear: many do want a leader like Pope Francis.

They say that they want somebody who embodies his love for charity and compassion. Father Mario Castro spoke a lot about the announcement during his sermon.

He said that the new pope should be viewed from an ideological standpoint.

"This is not about a power grab carrying the single most heavy cross that a Christian can carry," Castro said. "Let us show the world that the unit of who we are as Catholics."