VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected Pope
Wednesday, becoming the first pontiff to Latin America and the pope took
the name Francis I.Appearing
on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica a little later, the new Pope
greeted a large crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square with greetings in
Italian and led a prayer by his predecessor,
Benedict XVI."As
you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome, and
I think my brother cardinals went to look at the end of the world," he
said. "But here I am."Moments
earlier, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the highest-ranking cardinal of
the Church in the order of deacons, or proto deacon, announced "We Have a
Pope" and said the name of the new Pope, elected on the second day of discussions in the assembly of cardinals Roman Catholic Church. But
his words were barely audible to the crowd in the square, and there was
initial confusion about the identity of the new leader of 1.2 billion
Catholics worldwide.Bergoglio,
76, the first Pope Jesuit, spent most of his career at home in
Argentina, supervision of churches and priests leather shoes, the
Associated Press reported.
He
reportedly received the votes the second best after Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger - who became Pope - in 2005 papal elections, and he has always
specialized in the kind of pastoral work considered an essential skill
for the next pope."It's a brilliant move," said Marco Politi, papal biographer and longtime Vatican watcher, Bergoglio's election. "Italian
is a no no, not European, a man of the Roman government.'s An opening
to the Third World, a moderate.
Taking the name of Francisco, meaning a
completely fresh start."
"We do not know much about him," said Silvia Napolitano, 62, as he left the St. Peter's Square with a friend. "You
seem to have a direct relationship with the people. Seems simple. And
we like Argentines, but are open and sociable. You can tell by the way
he talks with that soft Italian accent."Gabriel Lopez-Betanzos, 29, an American seminarian in Rome, also knew little about the new Pope and booked a conclusion. "I am a scientist," he said. "I need more data."A group of Uruguay and Mexico held together in the square."It is the first pope to Latin America," said Horacio Pintos, who had his daughter on his shoulders. "It is an opening to a continent that is full of faithful that has been ignored," interrupted Carlos Becerril, 35, of Mexico.
"Now everything is heard more strongly."White
smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel early afternoon on Wednesday,
indicating that the 115 voting cardinals had elected the 266th pontiff.Crowds erupted in jubilation at the Plaza de San Pedro and anxiously awaited the presentation of the new pope then undisclosed.Bergoglio
was later revealed to the world on the balcony after entering the room
called for tears, wear white papal vestments and praying with the
cardinals who elected him.While
waiting for the announcement, thousands of people streamed down the Via
della Conciliazione, the broad avenue leading to St. Peter's Square,
holding umbrellas over their heads.
A line of white Polish nuns in shook each other's hands. Student groups jumped up and down, and roars of joy went through the sea of people as waves."Big Thrills" said Claudio Santini, lawyer of Rome, which was placed in a bowler hat in the square. "It is not important where the Pope is, as you can travel in the hearts of people.
"A
marching band and lines of the Vatican Swiss Guard flying with white
and yellow proceeded up the steps in front of the Basilica of the energy
of the audience.Standing
at attention in front of the basilica, the band played the Italian
national anthem as many in the crowd chanted - a sign of the close
relationship between the Vatican and Italy.The
papal seal on the Vatican website, which had been concealed under an
umbrella during the interregnum after the retirement of Benedict XVI, or
vacant, now returns to the papal tiara under "Habemus Papam".White
smoke, accompanied by the ringing of bells to eliminate any confusion,
out of a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, which caused the
huge gathered in the square to burst into applause and cheers.
The choice apparently occurred during the fifth round of voting, after two rounds in a morning session and one in the afternoon.To be elected, a candidate had to win the support of at least two thirds of the 115 cardinals of voting age. Reported frontrunners including Cardinals Angelo Scola of Italy, Marc Ouellet of Canada, and Odilo Pedro Scherer of Brazil.Because
no one of the Cardinals block - organized around the priorities or
passport - was big enough by itself to generate the needed 77 votes, a
candidate needs to secure the support of a representative sample of
voters.
And
if the consensus remains elusive, the Cardinals would be the lesser
known names in the college, which is what happened when John Paul II was
elected in 1978."Today
is critical," said Politi, papal biographer and a veteran Vatican
watcher with the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, before the new pope was
announced. "This
is a referendum on Scola and if the papacy return to an Italian or to
cross the Atlantic. For the first time there is the real possibility of
having a Pope of the Americas."The
Rev. Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters that the
Cardinals returned to their rooms at the Casa Santa Marta just before
noon, after two ballots in the morning did not result in a papal
selection.During
lunch and break that lasted almost five hours, were allowed to smoke,
drink wine, and - most importantly considering its ongoing discussions -
talk and visit each room.
"This
is a very beautiful and intense" Lombardi told reporters after the
morning session ended, emphasizing that no Pope Pius XII has already
been chosen before the fourth ballot. "This is very normal. That is not indicative of any division among the cardinals."Benedict
XVI, Pope now emeritus, spent much of Tuesday watching the pre-conclave
performances on television and in prayer isolated, Lombardi said.In the Plaza de San Pedro, true of many nations sang hymns and often looked at the six-foot fireplace.
Some were dressed in their national flags, cheerleaders Cardinals their countries."Having
a Brazilian Pope would be better than winning the World Cup," said
Bruno Smania, a 15-year-old high school in the Brazilian state of
Paraná, where Scherer spent part of his childhood. "It would be very important for us, a sign that Brazil really has come."The sense that the next pope could revitalize the faith in what he is from a country widely held here. Adam
Potter, a Pittsburgh-born seminarian and former Cardinal assistant
Donald Wuerl of Washington, was camping with a group of American and
British student priests.
He said he would support any Pope, but he hoped for an American."It's easy for Americans feel disconnected from the church," said Potter. "But
if we [Cardinal Timothy] Dolan or Cardinal Sean O'Malley became Pope, I
know it would be a powerful feeling of joy in the United States, and I
think that is exactly what we need."Caucuses
are officially open, but for almost 200 years, none has lasted more
than five days, and most have had only two or three days. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Benedict XVI, was seen as a strong front-runner before the last conclave in 2005. This time, no candidate has clearly claimed that title.Instead, attention is focused on a small group or potatoes papabili possible.
In
addition to the major candidates, other possibilities are Dolan of New
York and O'Malley of Boston, one of which, if elected, have become the
first "superpower" Papa.Troilo
Angela, 77, was near the obelisk in the center of the square Wednesday
morning, surrounded by puddles and facing the fireplace. "The
church used to do both!" Said Troilo, describes herself as a poor woman
worker who had been let down by his country and his church needed. "The Italian government is dead and buried.
Need someone with energy, you can send!"Cardinal
John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Nigeria, in an interview before the
conclave, said the next pope, like everyone else, "will, their own
training, competition, training, spiritual attitudes with their own
baggage" - and is to guide the church can be more complicated than a single country governed."As a nation, the church is a universal partnership," said Onaiyekan. "The
church is spread all over the world .... And each separate part of the
church, according to the will of God, is led by the bishops, whose job
is to deal with the reality around them and use them to uphold the principles of the church and the church move forward. "Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster agreed. "The challenges are somehow quite amazing," he said. "There is such a cultural change going on around the world, and these paradigm shifts."Before his first trip on Tuesday to the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals held a Mass dedicated to the election of the Pope.
Angelo
Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, gave the homily, emphasizing
the need for a good shepherd and a strong commitment to evangelism."Following
this service of love for the Church and for all humanity, recent popes
have been so many good initiatives builders to people and to the
international community, tireless promotion of justice and peace," said
Sodano, who has passed 80 and therefore are not eligible to participate in the conclave. "Pray
that the future pope can continue this work in the global relentless
.... Pray that the Lord grant us a pontiff who embrace this noble
mission with a generous heart."
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