Some Catholics are hoping that Pope Francis’ empathy for the poor and his advocacy for social justice as a Jesuit priest might take the focus off hot-button political issues in which the Roman Catholic Church has become embroiled, says the Rev. Jack Ryan, who once conducted the diocese’s only Spanish-language Masses on Oahu and Hawaii island.

Following Wednesday’s historic election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first pope from South America, Ryan said, "A big chunk of Catholics, 40 percent, live in Latin America. It’s going to make them feel really good … very, very special."

Ryan, now pastor of the Newman Center/Holy Spirit Parish at the University of Hawaii, conducted Mass in Spanish for several years as pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Kalihi. He did the same in Kailua-Kona for 12 years and, before that, spent time in Ecuador and Nicaragua while earning his master’s degree in Latin American studies from Georgetown University.

Ryan said Francis’ stances on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception will be in line with conservative positions taken by his predecessors. But Ryan predicted that the new Jesuit pontiff will be outspoken on other issues.

"This guy really has a commitment to the poor. He’s very serious about it. He’s really big on the globalization issue and how the Third World countries have gotten the shaft," Ryan said.

"What a lot of people are hoping is that they (political controversies) won’t be the focus of things. The media tends to focus on that kind of stuff, but that’s not what priests talk about in their sermons or homilies on Sundays" — instead, they concentrate on subjects such as God’s love and forgiveness, Ryan said.

Orthodox Bishop Randolph Sykes, spokes­man for The Interfaith Alliance Hawai‘i, said of Pope Francis, "I don’t see him as a condemning type of person. I think he’ll try to be understanding of others, and hopeful that he would be doing regular outreach" to leaders of other religions.

Sykes said he doesn’t see the pope challenging the belief systems of other religions, and "I’m assuming he’s going to be open and welcoming" to all, he said in an interview.

From his research, Sykes said, Francis appears to be far more down-to-earth than his predecessors, unpretentious and a "very humble man, clearly a man of integrity and prayer," and Sykes said he hopes his role as head of the Catholic Church will bring more respect for religion in general.

"I see him as a reformer," Sykes said.

Sykes cited Francis’ criticism of Latin American priests for not baptizing babies of unwed mothers, and his washing of AIDS patients’ feet as a ritual on Holy Thursday.

Sykes said the pontiff will have to openly address the sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. "This is just an issue that’s not going to go away until the pope does something about it," he said.