( CNN ) -- `` It 's about time ! '' That was how a friend and fellow Mexican-American Catholic responded to the news that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina had been elected the first Latino pope in the nearly 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church . It was one of those spontaneous utterances that , while not politically correct , was at least honest and heartfelt . It 's about time . And for wayward Latino Catholics like me , the election came at just the right moment . Just how wayward ? I go to Mass five times a year , and it 's been almost 40 years since my last confession . Even when I do go to church , I 'm what they call a `` cafeteria Catholic . '' I pick and choose what I like from sermons and disregard the rest . I believe in the holy trinity , but I also believe in things that the Church teaches me I should n't believe in -- like gay marriage and a woman 's right to choose . Where does that leave me ? Some of my fellow Catholics would judge me harshly and accuse me of being insufficiently committed to our faith . I 'm not . I 'm good with my faith . I pray directly to God , and I do n't need an intermediary . What I 'm sufficiently committed to is my Church , which frankly -- in light of its own sins -- is in no position to judge anyone . It 's because of the scandal involving sex abuse of young boys by priests that the Catholic Church is -- in my life , and I 'm sure in the lives of other Catholics -- hanging on by a thread . I 've been tempted to leave in disgust more than once . Opinion : Pope Francis a conservative who sides with the poor . It does n't help that I live in Southern California , in the shadow of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles . The largest Catholic archdiocese in the United States , it was until recently under the control of Cardinal Roger Mahony . The archdiocese of Los Angeles and Mahony recently settled a child sex abuse lawsuit for nearly $ 10 million . Mahony , who retired in 2011 , was accused of helping a confessed pedophile priest evade authorities . Yet he was allowed to vote at the conclave in Rome . As a Catholic , it 's hard to be idealistic , cheery and hopeful when you live in Mahony 's backyard . There is always news coming out of that archdiocese , and it 's usually bad . Even so , I 've come to accept that the Catholic Church is home to me . It 's comfortable , familiar . When I go to weddings or funerals , I know instinctively that this is where I belong . The Church is deeply flawed , and the new pope has a lot of work to do in terms of rebuilding the confidence of parishioners . But I ca n't go anywhere else . It 's human nature to want to see yourself reflected in an organization you belong to . It 's why Mormons in the United States were excited at the prospect of electing Mitt Romney president . It 's why Jews were just as eager in 2000 to elect Joe Lieberman vice president . It 's why , in East Coast cities like Boston or New Haven or New York , for generations the Irish voted for Irish candidates , and the Italians for Italian candidates . There are about 480 million Catholics in Latin America , and that 's not counting the 40 million to 50 million Latinos in the United States who are also Catholic . That accounts for nearly half of the 1.2 billion Catholics on the globe . Even for a people who often think not in terms of years but centuries , and who are famous for their patience , 20 centuries is a long , long time to wait for an acknowledgement that you exist , that you matter , and that you deserve respect . Opinion : Argentina a complex crucible for Pope . Now the wait is over . Pope Francis is of Italian descent , but he was born in Buenos Aires in 1932 . Raised in Latin America , he speaks Spanish fluently and understands what life is like for the poor and downtrodden . As other commentators have rightly noted , the fact that he chose the name `` Francis '' -- in honor of St. Francis of Assisi , the champion of the have-nots -- is a hint that he intends to focus the world 's attention on the issue of income equality . Meanwhile , the news of a Latino papa has sent a jolt of euphoria through Argentina and throughout Latin America . Imagine winning the World Cup Championship times 10 . There also will be a lot of excitement among Latinos in the United States , perhaps enough to reignite their passion for the Church and bring them back to Mass . Lastly , the newly elected pope serves as a powerful symbol . He signals new beginnings . He represents the people who represent the future of Catholicism . As the first non-European elevated to pope in more than 1,200 years , the 76-year-old instantly puts Latin America on the map . This is one of the youngest regions on the map . If Europe harkens back to yesterday , then Latin America represents tomorrow . That 's fitting . After all , for Catholics , this is a new day . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette .
Ruben ##s : For Latino Catholics , election of a Latino pope has been long overdue . He says , like many , he 's a ' cafeteria Catholic , '' accepts some ' , rejects others . He says with abuse scandal church has made it hard to stay , new pope sends good signal . Navarrette : Pope pick is crucial due to vast cohort of Latino Catholics .