Archbishop Allen Vigneron celebrates the beginning of Pope Francis' stewardship on Wednesday night during Mass at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament )
The Archdiocese of Detroit held a Mass on Wednesday evening at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament to commemorate the inauguration of Pope Francis at the Vatican.
About 300 people filled the pews to join Archbishop Allen Vigneron in celebrating the beginning of pope's stewardship of the Catholic Church and the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.
"This is something we've only seen twice in recent history," archdiocese spokesman Joe Kohn said. "It's certainly something everyone at every local level can appreciate."
Other celebrants included two priests from the pope's native Argentina, who currently minister in South Lyon, as well as Father Timothy Kesicki, head of Chicago and Detroit Province Society of Jesus.
Pope Francis, 76, on Tuesday urged humanity to respect all God's creatures and the environment in a homily to a crowd estimated at 200,000as he was inaugurated the 266th bishop of Rome.
"Please," he implored the tens of thousands, both poor and powerful, gathered outside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. "Let us be protectors of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment."
The Argentine native is the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to become pope. He is named for the 13th-century friar St. Francis of Assisi, whose life's work was to care for nature, the poor and the most disadvantaged.
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