The election of a pope from South America is recognition of where the Roman Catholic Church has strength, Louisville's Archbishop Joseph Kurtz said on Wednesday.
And Kurtz said he's hopeful Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio—now Pope Francis—will bring enthusiasm to Catholics worldwide, including in Louisville.
It's rare when a decision made thousands of miles—across the Atlantic Ocean—has an affect on the lives of Louisvillians, but the Conclave in Vatican City is just that.