Omaha Clergy Rejoice Over Choice of Pope

Fellow Jesuits Caught by Surprise

By Craig Nigrelli

CREATED Mar. 13, 2013

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Omaha, NE - "It's exciting. It's a great day."  That's the initial reaction of Father Rob Kroll the Jesuit Superior at Creighton Prep in Omaha, to the news that the College of Cardinals chose a fellow Jesuit to be the new pope.

Kroll said, " I sense he's a very humble, simple man not in a negative sense. He's obviously very bright, speaks multiple languages that a pope must have.  I think he has a heart that's pure. "

There was joy at Omaha's Jesuit University, Creighton.  Father Roc O'Connor told Action 3's Craig Nigrelli,  he was shocked by the choice and said "We are evangelists, teachers, we give retreats.  Our thing is to connect with souls. Ignatius was able to connect with souls. On that level, I would hope and expect he'd be able to do that."

Archbishop George Lucas was out of town Wednesday but told Nigrelli by phone, " The new Holy Father's reputation is that of someone who identifies with the poor who has lived very simply himself, that may be his affinity to St. Francis."

Lucas said he is delighted the Pope is from Latin America and he hopes the new pontiff will be a messenger of hope to all Catholics.