New Pope Francis Elected: Catholics in Johnston React

White smoke billowed above St. Peter's Square Wednesday afternoon, signalling that Catholics worldwide have a new leader. Catholics in Johnston and around Rhode Island reacted to the first South American pope.

Readers began to react to the election on Patch's Facebook page Wednesday afternoon soon after the announcement

Joan Tomasso Carlone: Allow Priests to marry.

Ben Dinsmore: Same as I thought about the last; nothing good.

Menotti Joseph Barone: I heard that we may need to brush up on our Latin if we attend Mass!

The Vatican released Pope Francis' biography Wednesday afternoon. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, is Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was ordained Jesuit in December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel.

He is a Jesuit intellectual who travels by bus and persuaded hundreds of Argentinians not to fly to Rome to celebrate with him when he bacame cardinal, but instead to give the money they would have spent on plane tickets to the poor. He was a fierce opponent of Argentinas decision to legalise gay marriage in 2010, reports the Guardian, arguing children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother. He believes in contraception to prevent the spread of disease, is open to dialogue with other faiths and is not facing questions over any abuse scandals, the British newspaper reported.

What do you think of the selection of Pope Francis? What direction do you think he should take the Catholic Church? Let us know in the comments section below.