Posted at: 03/13/2013 1:14 PM
Updated at: 03/13/2013 3:47 PM
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Email to a FriendUPDATE: New Pope Says Cardinals Looked To The "End Of The Earth"
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The new leader of the Catholic church says his fellow cardinals looked to "the end of the earth" to find a pope. They found one from Argentina, the home of Jorge Bergoglio. The Argentine cardinal is 76 -- and his election suggests that cardinals wanted a seasoned and popular pastor who would draw followers to the faith, rather than a young pope who would reign for decades. In his first public remarks as pontiff, to a cheering crowd in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis asked for prayers for himself and for the retired Pope Benedict.
WORLD REACTION
LONDON (AP) - World leaders are sending their congratulations and Catholics around the world are celebrating after the Vatican announced the election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to the papacy - making him the first pontiff from Americas. In Latin America, there were tears and cheers at the news of the first pope from the hemisphere. Even in Communist Cuba, there was pride as church bells rang to celebrate the news.
WHAT'S BEHIND THE NAME?
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Francis, the name the new pope has chosen, is a much-beloved Italian saint who is identified with peace, poverty and a simple lifestyle. The pope is the first to adopt the name of Francis, the rich young man from Assisi who renounced wealth and founded the Franciscan order of friars in 1290. Choosing the name of one of Italy's patron saints ties the new pope to Italy, the homeland of all popes of the last few centuries until 1978.
NEW POPE KNOWN AS HUMBLE MAN
(AP) - The new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has been known for years as a humble man who denied himself the luxuries that previous Buenos Aires cardinals enjoyed.
Known previously as Jorge Bergoglio, the 76-year-old often rode the bus to work, cooked his own meals and regularly visited the slums that ring Argentina's capital. He considers social outreach, rather than doctrinal battles, to be the essential business of the church.
He has in the past accused fellow church leaders of hypocrisy and forgetting that Jesus Christ bathed lepers and ate with prostitutes.
In his first appearance in St. Peter's Square as the new pope today, Francis wore a simple white robe.
FIRST JESUIT POPE
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis - the first Jesuit pope - has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina.
