Cardinals pick first Latin American pontiff, Pope Francis
Nick Rigillo
Vatican City

ROME: -- Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected Wednesday as the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the first ever pope to hail from Latin America.

The 76-year-old Jesuit assumed the name Francis, another first in the Church’s 2,000-year-old history.

The 266th pope had been named as a possible contender by Vatican experts, but not as a front-runner, during the build-up to the conclave. He is believed to have been a serious contender in the 2005 conclave, but his advanced age had been expected to play against him this time round.

A plume of white smoke began emerging from a chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel at 7:06 pm (1806 GMT), announcing to the world that a new pope had been chosen.

It was accompanied by the ringing of bells and shouts of Viva il papa! (Long live the pope) from a multitude of people who had gathered in St Peter’s Square despite the rainy weather.

The decision by the 115 cardinals electors came on only the second day of the conclave, likely in the fifth ballot. It followed the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI a month earlier.

The Cardinal Protodeacon, Frenchman Jean-Louis Tauran, announced the choice from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, using the traditional Latin formula: "Nuntio Vobis Gaudium Magnum, Habemus Papam" (I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope), followed by the pope’s chosen name.

Shortly after, Bergoglio appeared. Looking relaxed and at ease in his white cassock, he saluted the crowd in perfect Italian: "Brothers and sisters, good evening."

He then joked about his origins, saying his fellow cardinals had picked the new pope "from almost the end of the world."

One of the new pope’s first acts was to phone Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who cleared the way for the new pope with his shock resignation announcement last month.

Francis was also expected to visit the retired pope, who is currently staying in the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, "in the coming days," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

On Thursday he was expected to pray privately before meeting the cardinals who elected him in the Sistine Chapel. He is due to meet the press on Saturday, recite the Angelus on Sunday and be formally inaugurated with a public mass in St Peter’s Square on Tuesday.

The news was greeted around the world and particularly in Latin America, home to around 40 per cent of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.

"It is our wish for you to have, as you take on the leadership and guidance of the Church, a fruitful pastoral task regarding such major responsibilities for the sake of justice, equality, fraternity and peace for humanity," said Argentinian President Fernandez de Kirchner in a brief letter.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "especially happy for the Christians of Latin America," while US President Barack Obama said his election "speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world and, alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day."

The new pope faces formidable tasks at the helm of a Church whose global image has been severely battered by the so-called VatiLeaks scandal, which has exposed disagreement and conflict within its hierarchy. Cases of child abuse by some members of the clergy have also tarnished its image worldwide.

Cardinal Ersilio Tonini, an elderly Italian who did not take part in the conclave, said the choice of Bergoglio was a surprise.

"We are confident that a new era for the Church begins," Tonini told Italy’s Ansa news agency.

Francesco Clementi, an expert on Vatican governance from the University of Perugia, told dpa that, while Bergoglio is "a very simple man," he has significant government skills, having had a working experience in many of the Church’s institutions.

Bergoglio’s deputy at the archdiocese of Buenos Aires, Eduardo Garcia, described the new pope as "a very simple, very humble pastor."

He is said to love tango, football and the music of Beethoven. The son of an Italian immigrant, he is also known to favour doing his own cooking and shunning chauffered cars.

While papal elections are highly secretive and there are no formal candidates, papal watchers said this election was much more open than the one in 2005, which turned German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger into now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI after four rounds of voting.

Some of the most frequently mentioned names of "papabili" (papal candidates) circulating ahead of the conclave had been Italy’s Angelo Scola, Brazil’s Pedro Odilo Scherer, Timothy Dolan of the United States and Marc Ouellet of Canada.


-- The Nation 2013-03-14

Nice to see them go with a youthful guy in Pope Frank, might actually get some miles out of this young guy.

Good to see that they have at least temporarily moved away [ aged 76 with one lung ] from European Pontiffs. Let's hope he can sort out some of the shananigans that are going on in the catholic order.

Nice to see them go with a youthful guy in Pope Frank, might actually get some miles out of this young guy.

Where I come from, 76 ,makes you an old fart.

First for the Southern Hemisphere. ""God works in mysterious ways" Catholic saying.

Good to see that they have at least temporarily moved away [ aged 76 with one lung ] from European Pontiffs. Let's hope he can sort out some of the shananigans that are going on in the catholic order.

They are still holding onto the European connection, Frank was born to Italion parents.

First good "Hand of God" joke wins....

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

I'm actually amazed they picked a catholic again, given all the scandals.

First good "Hand of God" joke wins....

yes, little diego can now claim it was papa frank's hand that was used.

thats the next 2 world cups sorted, no heathens will win them, the argies have a divine right now.

cant wait for the first papa frank and diego meeting in the vatican

Edited March 14, 201313 yr by macksview

God, after reading the article, I actually feel YOUNG!

Now THATs what i call a miracle!

It's 2013 now... surely time disband this, and the other, lot and move on.

What a surprise: an old white man!

Argentinian Pope, Argentinian Queen of Netherlands and Lionel Messi.......quite impressive.

But we've still got The Falkland Islands.

How the Pope is really picked...

A South American pope, that White smoke must be from cannabis.

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

He is actually strongly against birth control, Homosexuality and same sex marriages. He is old school catholic coming from an area with the largest catholic population.

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

He is actually strongly against birth control, Homosexuality and same sex marriages. He is old school catholic coming from an area with the largest catholic population.

Could be a big conflict with President Fernandez?

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

He is actually strongly against birth control, Homosexuality and same sex marriages. He is old school catholic coming from an area with the largest catholic population.

Thought he was a Jesuit?

I see he's taken his glasses off for today's photo shoot.........Pope Vain 1st?

A post with a faulty link has been deleted as well as replies. A rather unnecessarily nasty post has also been deleted.

Please stay on topic.

Good to see that they have at least temporarily moved away [ aged 76 with one lung ] from European Pontiffs. Let's hope he can sort out some of the shananigans that are going on in the catholic order.

They are still holding onto the European connection, Frank was born to Italion parents.

Hats off, what a brilliantly politically expedient move, satisfies both the consevatives and the progressives at the same time, never under estimate the wisdom.

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

He is actually strongly against birth control, Homosexuality and same sex marriages. He is old school catholic coming from an area with the largest catholic population.

"Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss" Pete Townshend / Who

The Catholic Church will remain several hundred years behind the times, both in awareness and science. In general, Christianity is an elaborate myth which constantly needs to publicize itself - even to the extent of threatening people ("you will burn in the fires of hell") ....who aren't die-hard believers.

The gossip about the voting is that Italian favorite Scola didn't get enough early Italian votes to make a win possible, and compromise candidate Canadian Ouellet was considered and rejected (too close to the curia), then outsider American Dolan had a mini-surge, then Scola pushed his block to Francis (his Italian ethnic background was key) and the rest is history. The odd thing is that Francis was a strong second in the LAST vote but was not assumed to be among the front runners this time, probably because of his old age. Some say the Francis win is politically a total REJECTION of Benedict.

The Brazilian Scherer was also considered, but the gossip is he was rejected because of his German background.

The big news from my point of view is that an American even had a chance ...

Edited March 15, 201313 yr by Jingthing

The Vatican should hire the old guy (dean at Kelloggs U) who recently suggested Thailand get 'branded.' He could re-brand the Pope and the Church - with a shiny new logo, a jingle, and cartoon characters with a hit show on TV - much the same ways as he branded sugar-laden puffed-air cereals to appeal to tens of millions of American kids.

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

He is actually strongly against birth control, Homosexuality and same sex marriages. He is old school catholic coming from an area with the largest catholic population.

"Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss" Pete Townshend / Who

The Catholic Church will remain several hundred years behind the times, both in awareness and science. In general, Christianity is an elaborate myth which constantly needs to publicize itself - even to the extent of threatening people ("you will burn in the fires of hell") ....who aren't die-hard believers.

"Christianity is an elaborate myth which constantly needs to publicize itself - even to the extent of threatening people ("you will burn in the fires of hell") ....who aren't die-hard believers. "

Sort of like the global warming hysteria, you mean?

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

He is actually strongly against birth control, Homosexuality and same sex marriages. He is old school catholic coming from an area with the largest catholic population.

"Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss" Pete Townshend / Who

The Catholic Church will remain several hundred years behind the times, both in awareness and science. In general, Christianity is an elaborate myth which constantly needs to publicize itself - even to the extent of threatening people ("you will burn in the fires of hell") ....who aren't die-hard believers.

"Christianity is an elaborate myth which constantly needs to publicize itself - even to the extent of threatening people ("you will burn in the fires of hell") ....who aren't die-hard believers. "

Sort of like the global warming hysteria, you mean?

Nothing like it. The vast majority of global climate related scientists accept the scientific evidence about man made climate change.

Edited March 15, 201313 yr by Jingthing

e is actually strongly against birth control, Homosexuality and same sex marriages. He is old school catholic coming from an area with the largest catholic population.

well papa frank, time to start work, clean out the peds, sell off some of the assets to build good housing for the poor, allow poor women condoned access to birth control, endorse a peaceful death for those suffering.

not in my lifetime probably.

all hail papa frank

"Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss" Pete Townshend / Who

The Catholic Church will remain several hundred years behind the times, both in awareness and science. In general, Christianity is an elaborate myth which constantly needs to publicize itself - even to the extent of threatening people ("you will burn in the fires of hell") ....who aren't die-hard believers.

"Christianity is an elaborate myth which constantly needs to publicize itself - even to the extent of threatening people ("you will burn in the fires of hell") ....who aren't die-hard believers. "

Sort of like the global warming hysteria, you mean?

Nothing like it. The vast majority of global climate related scientists accept the scientific evidence about man made climate change.

Have the "vast" majority of scientists ever figured out which came first...the chicken or the egg?

"Vast" is a word that is vastly overused.

A nice little off-topic discussion, but let's stick to the OP.

It's 2013 now... surely time disband this, and the other, lot and move on.

What other lot?