US Conference Of Catholic Bishops: Mexican-Born Immigrant Jose Gomez Is Elected Vice President

Catholicism is a religion that is notorious for following tradition. Over the years we have seen a rise in integration with Latinos being elected positions in government for the first time and now it is carrying over to other fields such as education and religion. Latinos have a lot to be proud of and now there is another achievement to add to the list.

According to FOX News Latino, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez has just made history within Catholicism. Gomez was elected Tuesday to serve as the first ever Latino vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The vice president customarily is elevated to president, putting Gomez in line to become the first Latino leader of the conference. About 4 in 10 U.S. Catholics are Latino and they already comprise a majority in several dioceses, including Gomez' own archdiocese, which is about 70 percent Latino.

The site reports that the conference president does not set policy, but the choice of leadership is seen as evidence of the direction the bishops want to take the American church and how far they've gone toward following the priorities set by Pope Francis.

This honor is a prestigious one for Gomez as the vice president can move up the ranks and be elected to president. Texas Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, was elected president after three years as vice president.

Both DiNardo and Gomez were elected with a majority of the vote from a slate of 10 candidates.

Francis has emphasized mercy over rules, a dramatic shift from Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who made upholding orthodoxy a core focus of their pontificates. In an interview last May with the Catholic news outlet Crux, DiNardo said that some Texas Catholics "think the pope's too vague."

"I think it's important for the church going forward to be understanding of how important our tradition and practice is," DiNardo told Crux. "We have to walk with people in difficult situations, but there's a difference between accompanying people and approving everything they do. I think that's what Pope Francis is trying to tell us."

As Latinos continue to make history, they are proving that any dream can be turned to reality. A huge congratulations goes out to Archbishop Jose Gomez!