STOCKTON, CA - Even though an ABC and Washington Post poll shows a majority of American Catholics are concerned the church isn't modern enough, a much smaller poll Tuesday revealed traditional concerns among local Catholics.
The questions were asked as cardinals at the Vatican vote on a new pope to lead the church, following the resignation of Pope Benedict the 16th.
A parent at Annunciation School in Stockton said the new pope needs to have an impact on the world.
"I just think about world peace and trying to unify people. We need to come together in this process called life. He needs to be a real leader," said Jeanmarie Kagehiro.
A teacher at Annunciation said she hopes the new pope has a great interest in issues impacting Americans, like immigration.
"We're concerned with people taking our jobs. But there's a reason they're here and we need to treat them as human beings and be more understanding of what their plight is," said Shannon Rodriguez.
The vote to elect Pope Benedict in 2004 came in under 24 hours. Most pope selections take a few days.
By tdaly@news10.net
News10/KXTV