Scottish Catholic Observer

Scotland has reacted with joy to the election of Pope Francis, with Archbishop Tartaglia of Glasgow summing up the mood by saying ‘it’s just great to have a Pope.’

Archbishop Tartaglia said the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, 76, to the seat of Peter last night restored something vital to the Church.

“We have missed having a Pope, even for a short time, because the sense of the successor of Peter being there as the Bishop of Rome is very important,” he said. “I am sure lots of people will be analysing and speculating over the next few days, but it’s just great to have a Pope.”

Archbishop Tartaglia also said the new pope’s choice of name was likely to be significant.

“Perhaps the name gives us clues as to what type of Pope he will be,” he said. “It could be St Francis of Assisi, which is what I thought of immediately, in terms of being a poor servant of Jesus and a career for the poor. But also Francis of Assisi was given the message: ‘Rebuild my Church,’ and that is a very important idea in the present time. If it is St Francis Xavier it could be because he was a Jesuit and the new Pope is a Jesuit and also a missionary, as St Francis Xavier was a missionary.”

Patricia Chalé, SCIAF’s executive director said, that like other Scottish Catholics, the staff of her charity were delighted at the news.

“All of us at SCIAF are delighted by the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope Francis I, the first Pope from Latin America,” he said. “He is known as a true advocate for the poor and for inspiring others in undertaking works of charity.  We look forward to his leadership and continued inspiration as we work to build a more just world for all.”

Professor John Haldane, leading Scottish Catholic academic, and Vatican adviser said the new Pope had a big task ahead of him.

“He knows he needs to get a grip on the internal governance of the Church and do so quickly,” he said. “He also knows that the Church needs to get back to the work for which it was founded: preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is unlikely to see much to be gained from trying to compromise traditional moral teachings but he will present them in a spirit of care and generosity rather than as an ethical cold warrior. At 77, he is likely to have been seen as something of a short to mid-term pontiff who can embark on a task that will then fall to another figure of a generation younger than him to carry forward.”

Catholic commentator Professor Patrick Reilly said the new Pope had been an unexpected choice.

“It is good that it is away from Europe as the Europeans have dominated it for too long,” he said.  “What must be done in future is that any hint of sexual or financial impropriety must be immediately investigated. I hope it will signal a period of reform.”

Finally the Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond, who met the previous Pope on his 2010 visit to Scotland, said the new Pope’s first message ‘urging greater bonds of understanding and cooperation among peoples and nations is one that should resonate around the globe.’

—[email protected]