THE Bishop of Bangor has warmly welcomed the appointed of a new pope.
The Right Reverend Andrew John praised Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis I and Bishop of Rome.
Bishop John said: “Pope Francis has already started to demonstrate his humility, which is the central Christian value that is needed to challenge the West and other rich countries on their attitudes to poverty and starvation in the poor countries of our world.”
The bishop “hoped and prayed” that Pope Francis will use his gospel values and experience in Argentina to re-engage the people of Western Europeans with the Christian faith.
He added: “In the Diocese of Bangor, we look forward to working with all our ecumenical partners, and especially Bishop Peter Brignall and our sisters and brothers in the Diocese of Wrexham, in any way that we can, to further the cause of the Gospel in our part of north Wales.”