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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Cardinals Finally Elect New Pope: Pope Francis I

UPDATE: The new pope has named himself Francis after St Francis of Assisi. It's the first time the name has ever been chosen and perhaps there is a symbolism there - St Francis committed himself to a life of poverty and is seen as one of Catholicism's reforming figures.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aries in Argentina has been named the 266th Pope. He's the first Latin-American Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, which is the longest running institution in the history of mankind...almost 2,000 years old
The curtains open and Pope Francis I, clad in white, appears on the balcony of St Peter's. He is very still giving only small waves to the screaming crowd in front and looks reflective as he stares at the mass of humanity in front of him.
The election came on the first full day of voting by the 115 cardinal-electors, who secluded themselves behind the Vatican's medieval walls on Tuesday afternoon - more quickly than many had expected.
On a cold and drizzly night in the Vatican City, the tension was broken after five voting sessions, with the arrival of white smoke from the chimney on the top of the Sistine Chapel.
Hundreds of people sprinted up the Grand Avenue towards St Peter's Square.

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