Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter on the Election of Pope Francis

“The Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter joins Catholics worldwide in celebrating the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Francis. We pledge to him our prayers, solicitude and support as he begins his new ministry.

“As new Catholics, being a part of this moment in our faith's history is particularly poignant and reminds us of the consistent and constant presence of the Catholic Church in our world.

“St. Augustine reminded us of the significance and importance of the ministry of St. Peter, expressed in the office of the Pope: ‘After all, it is not just one man that received these keys, but the Church in its unity. So this is the reason for Peter’s acknowledged preeminence, that he stood for the Church’s universality and unity.’

“We in the Ordinariate, who have this unique and distinctive mission to work for Christian unity, welcome this successor to Peter and pledge to him our loyalty and prayers.”

Media contact: Susan Gibbs, 202-525-9554 and susan@gibbsmediaworks.com