Summit City Catholics react to news of new pope

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Earlier Wednesday before Pope Francis was unveiled to the world NewsChannel 15 caught up with some local Catholics to get their reaction to the selection of a new leader for the church.  Catholics  we spoke with across Fort Wayne were anxiously awaiting the news.  Many were staying glued to their TVs and social media for continuous updates.

As of this Wednesday morning, the first of two votes revealed a decision on a new Pope had not been made yet.  Around 2 p.m. Wednesday, white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel signaling a new Pope had been chosen.  Catholics hope Pope Francis will draw people back to the church, deal with ever changing social issues, and lead the church in a positive direction.

"We're convinced that there's going to be a really good Pope that's going to bring Catholics back to the church where they belong and take on the culture that we're living in now that needs to be Evangelized in," Anne Marie Saul of Fort Wayne said.

"I expect the new Pope to run the program just like they have all the way from the time of Peter to this present day," Mel Vachon of Fort Wayne explained.

NewsChannel 15 had a crew at the Archbishop Noll Catholic Center downtown as Pope Francis from Buenos Aires made his speech.  Catholics there were excited, happy, and seemed eager to learn more about their new pope.