Argentinians in New York proud of new pope

NEW YORK

There are small of pockets of Argentinians in Corona and nearby Jackson Heights, and they have great pride in their new pope.

"Too much, too much. I have a goose bump, I have a goose bump. My body is shaking since they told me," said Patty Juan, an Argentinian.

The pope is a fellow Argentinian and Patty Juan and her friends now place great trust in him.

"There have been a lot of problems. Hopefully he will do the part and he'll restore the faith," said Cathy Gonzalez, an Argentinean.

Outside Rio de la Plata in Corona where native Argentinians enjoy their coffee and rich pastry, there is great pride in the new pope and his heritage.

"We're very proud and very happy. First of all he's Spanish and most of all he's Argentinian," said Christian Giminez, the store's manager.

Outside the National Cathedral in Buenos Aires, they cheered, they chanted, and waved their flags with pride, as they did back in Queens, expressing the joy in their new pope.

"This was probably the most emotional thing I ever felt," one resident said.

Argentina has the 11th largest population of Catholics in the world.

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