Habemus Papam: Francis I

photo credits: CBS News

18h06: what an emotion to see white smoke coming out of the chimney on the Sistine Chapel! Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years, a surprise choice that reflects the shift of the Roman Catholic faith. Bergoglio, 76 years old, chose the name of Pope Francis I and was greeted by thousands of people as he stepped out on a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square to be presented to the world for the first time as pontiff. “You know that the duty of a conclave is to give a bishop to Rome, but it seems that my brother cardinals went to the end of the world to find one,” Bergoglio told a crowd estimated at more than 100,000. He’s the first Jesuit to be elected pope. In another move without precedent, Bergoglio adopted the name of Francis, one of the Church’s most revered saints who embraced poverty in 13th-century Italy. The name is widely seen as sign of humility. In his brief address, the new Pontiff asked the crowd in St. Peter’s Square to pray for him “before I offer a blessing to you.” God Bless You, Pope Francis I!