Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina has been elected the next pope adopting Francis as his name.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Bergoglio is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them and a follower of the church’s most conservative wing.<\/p>\n
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 &\u00a0 help the world overcome challenges of terrorism, immorality & hate.<\/p>\n
“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”.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina emerges new Pope<\/p>\n
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Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic church succeeding Pope Benedict, who resigned last month.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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The candidate had to receive two-thirds of the vote, or 77 ballots, to be chosen to lead the Church.<\/p>\n
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Thousands gathered in the Vatcan’s Saint Peter’s Square to witness the historical announcement.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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The Catholic News Service reports he has chosen the name Pope Francis I.<\/p>\n
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