Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina has been elected the next pope adopting Francis as his name.
He is the first South American pope. Until last year, Bergoglio was the archbishop of Buenos Aires before stepping down because of his age. He is 76.
“The duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome, and it seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am,” he told the crowd in Vatican City on Wednesday night.
Bergoglio is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them and a follower of the church’s most conservative wing.
In a swift reaction, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu congratulates the Catholic Church on the election of a new Pope. He urges the new leader of the Church to build on the legacies of his predecessor & help the world overcome challenges of terrorism, immorality & hate.
“The new Pope emerged at a time of immense global challenges & the world looks up to him to lead the way in the search for global peace, prosperity & moral re-armament”.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina emerges new Pope
Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic church succeeding Pope Benedict, who resigned last month.
The 115 voting members of the College of Cardinals elected the 76-year-old pope Wednesday afternoon on the second day of their secret conclave in the Vatican.
The candidate had to receive two-thirds of the vote, or 77 ballots, to be chosen to lead the Church.
Thousands gathered in the Vatcan’s Saint Peter’s Square to witness the historical announcement.
White smoke emerged from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel and bells pealed in Vatican City Wednesday evening, signaling that a new pope had been chosen to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
The Catholic News Service reports he has chosen the name Pope Francis I.