Roman Catholic Bishop, Francis Alleyne.

Roman Catholic Bishop of Guyana, Francis Alleyne on Wednesday welcomed the election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, as the Catholic Church's new Pope, Francis, saying that it would help narrow the distance between the Caribbean and the Vatican.

Bish Alleyne noted that the fact that the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church is from South America has certainly shifted attention from Europe which is the traditional center of Catholicism.

“Interestingly too, at the recent meeting of the Bishops of the Antilles, consisting  mainly the English speaking Caribbean, but also including the French and Dutch Islands and territories, it’s very clear to us as Bishops that we are practically unknown in the Vatican. So this certainly would be a possibility of bringing us a little bit more onto the map or into the vision of the wider church,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run Government Information Agency (GINA).

The new Pope himself stated in St Peter’s Square in his first address, “As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome, and it seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away … Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace.”

For the Catholics of Guyana at this point in time, the Roman Catholic Bishop said “these moments are always a special opportunity to look at ourselves as a church, as a faith here.

Bishop Alleyne hoped that with the ascension of Pope Francis 1 to higher office that the Roman Catholic Church would be able to address a number of issues.

He hailed the Pontiff as a simple person who had opted for public transport rather than being chauffeur driven

“The particular individual… has some very important qualities. We are told that he is a man who is very down to earth. Not only being very clear and direct and without too much frills, a man who actually lived very simply.

Alleyne also observed that Pope Francis has a very good background of being in various departments and commissions at high level government in the Church and very much in touch with that level of things.

“When his name was announced and he came on the balcony, just for him to very simply ask the people to pray for him before he would give them the blessing; it left a stamp there right away. It set a tone that this is a man very much aware of people, his own limitations. A message there that whatever he does and what he has to do, it is about the people, coming from them and for them. We just want to invest in that Pope.”