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Subscribe to RSSHailing from Argentina, Cardinal Bergoglio – now Pope Francis, is known as a humble man who forgoes a chauffeur to take the bus to work. As the first Jesuit pope, it's expected Francis will encourage priests to evangelize, educating others in the Catholic faith. NBC's Anne Thompson reports
VATICAN CITY — Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years on Wednesday, signaling the beginning of a new era for a church combating scandal and internal strife.
Described as a conservative with "great compassion," the 76-year-old will be known as His Holiness Pope Francis. He will be installed at the Vatican on Tuesday.
The new pontiff named himself after the humble Catholic friar St. Francis of Assisi. President Barack Obama hailed the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics as a "champion of the poor."
The first Latin American pope was introduced from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
There was an audible gasp from the rain-soaked crowd - an indication that he had not been a widely tipped choice - followed by a roar and wild applause.
In Italian, he seemed to address his outsider status by joking: "As you know the duty of the conclave is to give Rome a bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world."
Newly-elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio speaks to St. Peter's Square and delivers a blessing after being elected as Pope Francis I.
“Pray for me and I will see you soon," he added, asking Catholics to also pray for his predecessor Benedict XVI, who abdicated on Feb. 28. "Have a good evening and rest well.”
His first act on Thursday will be to visit his predecessor, the Pope Emeritus, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan told reporters later.
A vocal advocate for Argentina’s poor during the economic crises that struck the country during the 1970s, Francis is the first Jesuit pope.
Vote: Was Pope Francis a good choice?
Known for his humility, Francis is the son of a railway worker and one of five siblings. He has a chemistry degree.
Francis has only one fully-functioning lung, the other having been partially removed due to an infection when he was a teenager.
He prizes simplicity and is expected to encourage priests to do shoe-leather evangelization, according to his biographer.
Shortly after his election, Francis skipped the limousine and chose instead to ride on the last shuttle bus with other cardinals to go back to the Vatican for a meal.
"And as the last bus pulls up, guess who gets off? It's Pope Francis. I guess he told the driver 'That's OK, I'll just go with the boys,'" Dolan told reporters.
Later, during the dinner, Dolan said Francis showed his humorous side.
"We toasted him and when he toasted us he said: 'May God forgive you,' which brought the house down," he said.
About an hour before Francis emerged on the balcony, white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel and bells rang out across Rome to signal a decision had been made.
The unveiling of the new pope was moment of pure joy for the 100,000 pilgrims, tourists and other onlookers in St Peter's Square.
"Who is this?" asked Deirdre Sweeney from Boston, Mass., when Francis first walked onto the balcony.
"Argentinian!" shouted a man nearby.
Americans were among the tens of thousands who gathered to witness the unveiling of Pope Francis.
“I think this is wonderful,” said Sweeney’s husband, Kevin. “It's an incredible breakthrough. It's a great recognition for the church that the church is not euro-centric anymore."
Another man shouted: "It’s very gutsy that he chose the name Francis, he’s going to be the first Francis. He wants to be a humble pope and build the church up, from a time of ruin, like St. Francis of Assisi."
Smoke billowed from the chimney at 7:07 p.m. local time (2:07 p.m. ET) on the second day of behind-closed-doors voting.
The cardinals are thought to have taken five ballots to reach the two-thirds of the vote necessary for a decision.
The new pontiff's debut was heralded by a Latin announcement beginning with the phrase "Habemus Papam!" meaning, "We have a pope!"
George Weigel, NBC News' Vatican analyst, said Francis would be "a great defender of religion around the world.”
“The papacy has moved to the New World. The church has a new pope with a new name,” he added. “I think it speaks to the church’s commitment to the poor of the world and compassion in a world that often needs a lot of healing.”
NBC News Special Report: The Vatican announces that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected as the new head of the Catholic Church.
Obama said the choice of the first pope from the Americas spoke "to the strength and vitality" of a region "that is increasingly shaping our world."
"Alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day," the president said in a statement.
Now known as Pope Emeritus, Francis' predecessor Benedict watched Wednesday's events from a temporary lakeside residence at Castel Gandolfo while his permanent living quarters inside Vatican City are refurbished.
The behind-the-scenes ballot process that took place in the Sistine Chapel should still remain a secret. Both the cardinals and staff working alongside them swore an oath of secrecy as the conclave got under way, with the threat of ex-communication for anyone breaking the church's ancient code.
NBC News' Yuka Tachibana and Richard O'Kelly, and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to lead the Catholic Church following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
Related:
Pope Francis: Humble leader who takes the bus to work
'He’s not feeble in any way': World reacts to a new pontiff
Full coverage of Pope Francis from NBC News
This story was originally published on Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:14 AM EDT
Leave a Comment:
The new Pope has one lung ?
Why aren't they appointing anyone younger then 60?
Come on i'm not Catholic but atleast put someone in there that isn't going to die of old age in the next 5 years or so how long is he expected to be the leader im sure it couldn't span no more then 10 years at best
As one poster pointed out the church hasn't changed because if it did they would have a little more faith in a younger leader and that is not being bias just telling it how it is
I am sure he will do a good job, I sure hope he straigtenes that Catholic church out. I know one man who cheats on his wife all the time with prostitutes and then goes to his home Catholic church and acts like he is the most holiest person of all. Sits in the front seat and looks so holy and people believe what they see. Shame on him.
What are the racists gonna say???
Oh, no! A South American!!
I know this one will say you're an idiot, because you forgot to use "ignorant" in conjunction with "racist" as The Official Marxist Name-Calling Guide requires.
Does he even know Italian ?
I just LOVE getting under their skin. Thanks Romney or Ramay. :)
Why do you care, you judgmental twit? Political correctness is the last bastion of true bigotry and racism.
See, it's coming out. They just can't help it :( boo hoo :)
@Tommy...
He spoke in Italian!
He looks pretty European to me...
Europeans are Americans that talk funny that's all
Huh?
I was responding to you saying he looks European to me we're all European if you don't put a label on it
He is European as he his parents are from Italy so he's Italian. People keep talking about diversity, but it is really the same old boy network in action with a bunch of old white men making the decision. When the catholic church elects its first pope of color, then, and only then can we really and truly say that their choice is one of diversity. Until then, the papacy will always be a White male dominated zoning club.
Samson, all of you diversity zealots are in for a rude awakening when there are no more "old white men" running things. I'm shocked you don't connect the dots and realize that there are no third world White run countries...
u just said it rob
You know damn well once the white smoke was blown they hiked up there dresses and it was one giant pickle fest.... Bishops gone wild Italian style! What happens in the rectory stays in the rectory... Bring om the choir boys its going to get mid evil!
Sigh, I just thought I'd stop by this article to count sheep 'cause I'm having trouble sleeping. This article will do just fine. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
"Roman Catholicism is the largest and most diverse religion in the world"
Well, thank God it's diverse! What would we do without the most important thing in the Universe, diversity?! I wouldn't be able to eat or sleep or work without diversity, would you?
Roman Catholic diversity---women who want a choice? no... none of them.. Lesbians? no, female priests? no, how about gays? nope. That's some diversity you got goin-on there goys. #atheismislogic
Probably would be better to have Francis the mule from the old Donald O'Conner movies.
hey! I just heard on the news the Air Force had 19,000 sexual assault accusations in 2010 alone and the Catholic church hasn't had 10,000 reports since 1950 All you haters better jump to that discussion to voice your opinions
Your brother, jackass?
hurry this one is running out of steam
The Catholic church a huge organization disguised as a religious order. Cardinal Roger Mahoney protected a priest that he knew was guilty of molesting children for years and on many occassions the same children. They both were caught and convicted and $10,000,000.00 of parish contributions were spent paying off the law suits. The priest was defrocked and phoney Maloney was amongst the Cardinals that voted for the new Pope. Now how in the hell do you defend that. While at the same time there are hundreds of Catholic Cathedrals that are the equivelant to ivory palaces all laced with gold inside. While just outside of their doors exsists a multitude of people that live at the poverty level and children without decent food and clothing still willing to fill their collection bowls. Perhaps some of that money also will be earmarked to payoff future suits for acts of child molestation. This is something very hard for me to understand why they continue to exsist.
Pleasssssse There is no other charity in the world that gives more to the poor!! No one even comes close. When was the last time you picked up a beggar and fed or clothed him? Do you give ten percent every pay day to the poor? You and people like you are Judas in the modern day. This is exactly what Judas did when the King of Kings Jesus Christ allowed the woman to wash him with expensive perfume. Judas complained what a waste because that perfume could have been sold in order to feed the poor. When all the time he was never concerned with the poor. He just wanted the money. And today it's played out all over again just like Judas did over 2000 years ago. The Catholic Church is rich because of its art and great Cathedral's to be enjoyed by all of humanity not just Catholics. When you find someone who gives more than Holy Mother Church post it until then I will be waiting a looooooooong time.
You make accusations about me and you know absolutely nothing about me. It is the most unconciable type of person that makes blind accusations. Comments I posted were verified official court information. If the Catholic church was so concerned about people living in poverty. Then perhaps they would not have invested so much lavishness in their ornate palaces. You don't think that there is a problem in a church when they have to pay off multi millions of dollars in law suits for child abuse. Or perhaps you may have a little kidde porn stashed away in a secret place. And that was not an accusation only a possibility. You have to admit when you defend an institution that harbors child molesters it does not arouse the best of opinions Tarpeian 43.
Amen to that!!! The Catholic Church as been corrupt for centuries. Their atrocities eliminate them from from being in any moral position to give any advice on spiritual matters to anybody.
True Christianity isn't a "religion" It's a relationship with a person. Who? you ask. His name is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate head of the Universal Church, B.O. The Pope is the Vicar of Christ.
Therefore, the Pope walks in Jesus' underwear?
Looks European to me.
You look idiotic to me
Who gives a flying squirrel? NBC has spent nearly a quarter of an hour on a non event. You are promoting a con job religion full of pederasts, shame on you,
All I wanna know is what Fr. Guido Sarducci thinks.
youtube.com/watch?v=uUU4duoJF64
First, please let me predicate my post by saying just how wonderful it is that the Catholics have elected a new leader of their faith and that I wish them and him well.
Now, if this new pope, Pope Francis, truly wants to change the perception of the Catholic Church, he must first acknowledge that there is a problem within the Catholic Ministry regarding the violation of children by some of their ministers. And then campaign to end the philandering / lecherous mind set of those involved. Turn them over to the proper authorities and stop sending them off to another unsuspecting diocese to continue their vile defilement of our / their weakest members. In my opinion this is the most serious issue facing the Catholic Religion today, others my feel differently and I would assert they are wrong, the children, all the children, are our future.
Very interesting that so many people continue to be completely enraptured by their membership in an organization where so many people of high authority--priests--have committed lewd acts on kids, so much and for so long. I think I'd be inclined to keep my god and my faith, and leave the sham goodness of the church in my rear view mirror.
I think it was probably a good choice for the Catholic Church as a whole. The Catholic Church is the most influential and compassionate religion in the world so it's nice to know there is a compassionate humble Pope at the helm guide the church.
He chose to name himself after the patron saint of San Francisco - St. Francis-the-Sissy.
Your father was St Francis, sissy?
In the case of the Catholic Church, it's:
Saint Francis of a Pee Pee
there is only one place you can recieve the body and blood of Christ, regardless of the moral state of the priest he still changes the bread and wine at the consecration. "unless you eat of my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you" dont stay away for the priest or the ppl in church, go for yourself and what YOU recieve at communion
Deo Gratias. God bless Pope Francis!
sanctus sanctus sanctus is the catholic church. ora pro nobis pope francis
yeah the largest and most secretive cult in the world has chosen a new leader, lets all bow and pray to him. Oh wait aren't we supposed to pray to God......
Pray for him dumb ass, not to him.
Yb00cs79, the Catholic Church is not a cult but a denomination. You oppose it because you cannot live up to its doctrinal precepts delivered by is leader Jesus Christ.
You hate God and God hates you.
Grow up and stop lying.
Well Yboocs the burden of proof is on you:) I can't wait to hear you logic as to why The Holy Roman Catholic Church is a cult. But just to help you out look up the word cult. That would be a good starting point. I will be waiting:))
@Snoop The Holy Roman Catholic Church is not a denomination. By definition any Christian sect outside of Holy Mother Church is a denomination.
Must be a place in this world for BS paganisms and religeous superstitions, if folks really care about this "pope crap"!
So glad I don't give a rat's bucket of piss!
Another Dope,,,,haha hehe hoho. All religion blows
All these weak and ailed,and needy people,praying to a guy who doesent care about them. Sad
Notice how the liberal, lame-stream media never reported that dolan was stopped at customs with 3 large roasts stuffed under his dress as he tried to fly back to the US!
Tax all religion
Its not a job just anyone he has a big hat to fill!