First Latino Pope has special connection to Valley Catholics

Pope Francis not only speaks Spanish, it’s his native language. Catholics in the Coachella Valley tell us it allows them to connect with his message on a deeper level.

“Especially because we are Hispanic, he has touched our hearts,” said Gloria Gomez, a Catholic.

Catholics we spoke with say there is something different about Pope Francis.

“His presence, his words, bring hope,” said Claudia Castorena, a Catholic.

“A lot of time when the pope is European they don’t make that connection that we do now. That they see him not so much as distant, but in a manner of speaking tangible to them as people regarding their needs,” said the Rev. Hector Vasquez of Our Lady of Guadalupe Sanctuary.

It’s tangible partly because followers can listen to the pontiff’s message directly.

“It’s like home for me. It’s special. Your first language is what comes from the heart easily, so when I hear him. Its easy to understand. It’s like a deeper communication,” said Castorena.

“They feel closer because they sense that he knows not so much what they are about but also where they’ve been and where they are. They feel and they sense that connection that is always something good,” Vasquez said.

Gomez said she remembers the day the humble cardinal from Latin America became head of the Catholic Church.

“I’m still emotional because I think that he understands us more than anything else,” said Gomez.

Gomez dedicates her life to helping those less fortunate, a message she is happy the pope is spreading. Watch more about Gomez’s story below.

“It’s a person who knows the poor(est) of the poor, which I was one of them. Not having anything in Mexico and my parents have to immigrate to the U.S. to be able to sustain ourselves, and this pope is bringing that to the world and saying be more with the poor. Be kind with them, be compassionate with them,” said Gomez.

“My faith is stronger. That is the impact he’s creating,” said Castorena.