March 14, 2013

New Pope Elected: Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is Pope Francis I

Habemus papam! 

After two days of papal conclave, the 115 cardinals from all over the world had already chosen the next pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church—Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who is now Pope Francis. Photograph: Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images

Now Pope Francis I (his chosen papal name), the then Cardinal Bergoglio is the first non-European to be elected pope for almost 1,300 years and the first-ever member of the Jesuit order. A white smoke pouring from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel signaled the election of Pope Francis I, who appeared at the balcony over the entrance to St Peter's basilica bespectacled.

The 76-year-old former Cardinal Bergoglio replaced Benedict XVI as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. The latter announced his resignation early February, the first pope to do so since Celestine V in 1294. 

It took five voting before the cardinals who joined the secret voting for the next pope made their decision and elect Cardinal Bergoglio, who is now the 266th pontiff. Although not a front-runner and his election came as a surprise, he is said to be the runner-up to now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the 2005 conclave.

Moments after he was introduced "to the City of Rome and to the World," the newly-elected leader of the Catholic Church from Argentina also said hello to the Twitter world via the pope's official account, @Pontifex.

"HABEMUS PAPAM FRANCISCUM," reads Pope Francis' first tweet.


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