2013/03 - New pope Mario Bergoglio
Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 77, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected the new pope on March 13 after two days of secret ballots in the cardinals' conclave held in Vatican City.
White smoke out of the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel and the sound of church bells announced at 7:06 pm local time that Bergoglio was the new pope in front of thousands of believers and international journalists who were waiting for the news in St Peter square.
The name he chose as the new pope was Francis I. He is the first Jesuit to become pope.
Time magazine named Pope Francis its Person of the Year, crediting him with shifting the message of the Catholic Church while capturing the imagination of millions of people who had become disillusioned with the Vatican. |