BC High teens cheer choice of American pope
The choice of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new pope caught just about everyone by surprise -- including students at BC High, who watched the historic moment in the school's common area.
'I think him being an American pope is going to change some things and is going to be a benefit,' said Senior Robert Le.
'Personally I was rooting for the Filipino,' said Senior Dante Minacapilli, 'But I think it's a cool choice to have someone from the US as pope.'
Minacapilli said Prevost's background as an international missionary can help build bridges.
'He's worked in Peru and so spent a lot of time in other countries doing missionary work,' he said. 'I think that could be really great to connect Americans with other countries globally and have more empathy across the world.'
What the students most want to see, it seems, more of the same.
'As a young person of faith, I hope he keeps the same values as Pope Francis,' said Senior Henry Sulce.
'We've learned a lot about him in my religion class and his environmental work, so I'm really hoping we can continue that because that's really important to our generation,' said Senior Gerard Sharkey.
Father John Predmore, an artist and faculty member at BC High, called the selection of Prevost brilliant.
'This is a move to strengthen the worker's rights and it's a move to carry on some of Francis's agenda,' he said. And, I think, to go even deeper than what Francis was able to do."
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