Am I excited that there is a new pope?  No!  Am I excited that he picked his new name, "Francis," because of St. Francis of Assisi?  YES! Why?  Because, I went to Catholic grade school and all little Catholic kids absolutely love this particular saint. This is not only because his last name allows you so say "ass" without getting into trouble. It's because he had a rich dad and a fancy lifestyle, and he gave it all up to help the poor.  He also had a fervent love of animals, as you can see here in this photo:

Since most children also love animals, St. Francis of Assisi is seen as a real cozy guy who is easy to approach. So kids would much rather pray to him than to a saint who focused on more depressing matters.  Also, "Assisi" has the word, "sissy" in it.  So it was great thing to call my little brother when I was chasing him around the neighborhood (sorry Dave).  Of course, when I did that, I was playing with fire.  Because at any moment, he could spin around and whisper one word that would break me down and leave me in a puddle on the sidewalk:  "fat."