Long Live the Pope

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio waselected by his peers
Wednesday as the new pope, becoming the first pontiff from the
Americas.


He chose the name Francis, drawing connections to the humble
13th-century saintwho saw his calling as trying to rebuild the church
in a time of turmoil.
As the long-time archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis has spent nearly
his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and
shoe-leather priests. In choosing a 76-year-old pope, the cardinals
clearly decided that they didn't need a vigorous, young pope whowould
reign for decades but rather a seasoned, popular and humble pastor who
would draw followers to the faith and help rebuild a church stained by
scandal.


Groups of supporters waved Argentine flags in St. Peter's Square as
Francis, wearing simple white robes, made his first public appearance
as pope.


Chants of "Long live the pope!" arose from the throngs of faithful,
many with tears in their eyes. Crowds went wild as the Vatican and
Italian military bands marched through the square and up the steps of
the basilica, followed by Swiss Guards in silver helmets and full
regalia.


Francis appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica just after a
church official announced"Habemus Papum" -- "We have a pope" -- and
gave Bergoglio's name in Latin.


"Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening," he said to wild cheers before
making a reference to his roots in Latin America, whichaccounts for
about 40 percent of the world's Roman Catholics.


Francis asked for prayers for himself, and for retired Pope Emeritus
Benedict XVI, whose surprising resignation paved the way for the
conclave that brought the first Jesuit to the papacy.


"You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome,"
Francis said. "It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him
from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome."
In one of his first acts as pope, Francis on Thursday morning planned
to visit Benedict at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo south of
Rome.


American Cardinal Timothy Dolan said Wednesday night at the North
American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome, that Francis told fellow
cardinals following the conclave that made him pope: "Tomorrow
morning, I'm going to visit Benedict."


The visit is significant because Benedict's resignation has raised
concerns about potential power conflicts emerging from the peculiar
situation of having a reigning pope and a retired one.


Bergoglio has shown a keen political sensibility as well as the kind
of self-effacing humility that fellow cardinals value highly,
according to his official biographer, Sergio Rubin. He showed that
humility on Wednesday, saying that before he blessed thecrowd he
wanted their prayers for him and bowed his head.


"Good night, and have a good rest," he said before going back into the palace.
In a lifetime of teaching and leading priests inLatin America, which
has the largest share of the world's Catholics, Francis has been known
for modernizing an Argentine church that had been among the most
conservative in Latin America.


Like other Jesuit intellectuals, Bergoglio has focused on social
outreach. Catholics are still buzzing over his speech last year
accusing fellow church officials of hypocrisy for forgetting that
Jesus Christ bathed lepers andate with prostitutes.


Francis, the son of middle-class Italian immigrants, is known as a
humble man who denied himself the luxuries that previous Buenos Aires
cardinals enjoyed. Bergoglio often rode the bus to work, cooked his
own meals and regularly visited the slums that ringArgentina's
capital.


He came close to becoming pope in 2005, reportedly gaining the
second-highest vote total in several rounds of voting before he bowed
out of the running in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.


Cardinal Dolan gave an inside glimpse into the drama of the conclave
in his talk at the American seminary.
When the tally reached the necessary 77 votes to make Bergoglio pope,
Dolan said, the cardinals erupted in applause. And when he accepted
the momentous responsibility thrust upon him -- ''there wasn't a dry
eye in the place," the American cardinal recounted.


After the princes of the church had congratulated the new pope one by
one, other Vatican officials wanted to do the same,but Francis
preferred to go outside and greetthe throngs of faithful. ''Maybe we
should go to the balcony first," Dolan recalled the pope as saying.


In choosing to call himself Francis, the new pope was linking himself
with the much-loved Italian saint from Assisi associated with peace,
poverty and simplicity.St. Francis was born to a wealthy family but
later renounced his wealth and founded the Franciscan order of friars;
he wandered about the countryside preaching to the people in very
simple language.


He was so famed for his sanctity that he was canonized just two years
after his death in 1226.