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OAS Secretary General Welcomes Designation of Pope Francis

  March 13, 2013

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today welcomed the appointment of the new head of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, and celebrated that the new Pope is a national of Argentina and the first in the history of Catholicism to come from the Americas.

Insulza expressed his hope that the mandate of Francis, the name adopted by the Argentine Cardinal, "is full of good wishes for all Catholics and for our continent." While admitting that the Catholic religion is going through difficult times, Insulza expressed confidence that "Pope Francis can garner the support and backing of the faithful throughout the world and particularly in Latin America, and that, true to his name, he will promote unity and peace between peoples."

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-090/13