BISMARCK, N.D. (March 13, 2013) – Upon the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis, Bishop of Bismarck David Kagan issued the following statement:
“With profound gratitude to almighty God and with great joy, I welcome the election of Pope Francis as the 266th Successor of Saint Peter, the Bishop of Rome and the Vicar of Christ on Earth.
"While I am not personally familiar with Pope Francis, I do know that he has an excellent reputation as a priest, a bishop and a cardinal. As a member of the Society of Jesus, he is known for his scholarship and for his devotion to the Catholic Church and its mission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Most recently, as the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis was well respected for his pastoral leadership of one of the most important dioceses in South America. With the election of Pope Francis, the ordinary work of the Holy See will begin again and this work includes the very important duty of the Holy Father to appoint bishops, including a new bishop for the Diocese of Fargo.
"Again, we have been privileged to witness the workings of God, the Holy Spirit, in inspiring and vivifying His Church with a new Supreme Shepherd for all Catholics.
"Let us pray without ceasing for our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, that he will courageously and humbly sustain the faith of us all by his fidelity to Christ and his willingness to spend and consume himself for the spiritual and temporal welfare of every soul.
"At this joyous and holy moment, let each of us in our prayers rededicate ourselves to Christ and His Church with a firm and unwavering faith, a renewed hope and an even livelier charity. Let us complete our Lenten observance with even greater joy and humility as we have experienced again God’s merciful goodness.