New Pope Is a 76-Year-Old Argentine: Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Announced to the World As 266th Pontiff
By Hugo Gye and Simon Tomlinson
[with video]
Tens of thousands of Catholics flocked to the Vatican City last night to witness Jorge Mario Bergoglio's unveiling as Pope Francis I - the Church's first ever leader born outside Europe. The Argentine son of an Italian railway worker was chosen as the 266th pontiff on the fifth ballot of the conclave of cardinals last night, with the Sistine Chapel's symbolic white smoke revealing the decision. To the cardinals who chose him, it is hoped the 76-year-old's election will be a watershed moment for the world's 1.2billion Catholics. They undoubtedly feel that with his Italian roots he will be able to take on the Vatican bureaucracy known as the Curia - which has been subject to accusations of money-laundering - and to take a tough line on the sex scandals continuing to embarrass the church worldwide. The former Archbishop of Buenos Aires is the first South American and also the first Jesuit pontiff, and will be tasked with leading the Church out of one of its darkest spells following the plethora of recent scandals. But despite the most daunting of starts to his new role, Pope Francis thought it best to start his first papal address with a joke. He told the thousands of soaking Catholics huddled in the Vatican City's St. Peter's Square that the cardinals had gathered to 'give Rome a bishop' but said that they had 'gone to the ends of the earth to get one'. The multilingual Pope's birthplace will be seen as a significant move for the Church, taking the Papacy to a continent in which 42 per cent of the world's Catholics live. It also poses a diplomatic puzzle for Britain, which went to war with Argentina when Bergoglio was rising through the ranks of his national church. He is first non-European Pope since the Syrian Gregory III in 731. Known as an avid reformer, he becomes the third non-Italian Pope in a row, having being born and spent his life in the Argentinian capital. Thousands of worshippers crammed into St Peter’s Square. At 6.06pm UK time, the white smoke began to billow signalling that a second day of voting had been successful. Soon after it was announced that the conclave had returned the Archbishop of Buenos Aires as Pope. The news was greeted with wild cheers from a square packed with thousands of pilgrims. Some knelt on the streaming cobbles in prayer. Others clutching rosaries, wept with emotion. Despite driving rain, thousands had kept a vigil outside St Peter’s Basilica, watching for the white puff that signalled a new leader of their church. THE SON OF A RAILWAY WORKER WHO WAS ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING WITH THE ARGENTINIAN JUNTA By Tara Brady Pope Francis - the first Jesuit pope - has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina. The former Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, reportedly got the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger, the last pope, in the 2005 papal election. He has long specialised in the kind of pastoral work - overseeing churches and priests - that some say is an essential skill for a pope. In a lifetime of teaching and leading priests in Latin America, which has the largest share of the world's Catholics, the former Bergoglio has shown a keen political sensibility as well as a self-effacing humility, according to his official biographer, Sergio Rubin. His personal style is the antithesis of Vatican splendor. Bergoglio is also known for modernising an Argentine church that had been among the most conservative in Latin America. He chose the name Pope Francis I, after St Francis of Assisi and is the first pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in over a thousand years. He was born in Buenos Aires, one of five children of an Italian railway worker and his wife and was ordained to the priesthood in 1969. On April 15, 2005, a human rights lawyer filed a criminal complaint against Bergoglio, accusing him of conspiring with the junta in 1976 to kidnap two Jesuit priests, whom he, as superior of the Society of Jesus of Argentina in 1976, had asked to leave their pastoral work following conflict within the Society over how to respond to the new military dictatorship, with some priests advocating a violent overthrow. Bergoglio's spokesman has flatly denied the allegations. No evidence was presented linking the cardinal to this crime. Of all the contenders to replace Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was little mentioned. The 76-year-old reportedly received the second most votes after Joseph Ratzinger, the last pope, in the 2005 papal election. And as a representative of South America's Catholics - who make up an estimated 40 per cent of the 1.2 billion strong church, he was widely supported on a massive scale. He became Pope Francis after a surprisingly quick conclave winning 77 votes, or two-thirds of the 115 cardinals' votes, on the fifth ballot. His decision to pick the name Francis evokes key Christian tenets such as simplicity and humility. And they are fitting for a man who, spending nearly his entire career in Argentina, is known for catching the bus and eschewing the luxuries of high office. His personal style is said to be the antithesis of Vatican splendour. Pope Francis has been described by commentators as a voice of conscience and a reconciler. Classed by some as a moderniser of a strict South American church, he is still conservative and an opponent of such ideas as gay marriage. Initially the pallid plume was met with disbelief, then an American voice yelled, ‘White smoke’. A great cry went up from the crowd, and the bells of St Peter’s began to toll. A marching band paraded into the square followed by a platoon of Swiss Guards. French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran announced ‘Habemus Papam!’ Latin for ‘We have a Pope’ before introducing him to the world in Latin. Emerging onto the balcony in his white cassock, the new Pope addressed the crowd in Italian, saying ‘Brothers and sisters, Good evening. Let’s start this path of the Church of Rome together, bishop and people together, (a path) of fraternity, love and trust among us. ‘Let’s pray for one another, for the whole world, so that there is great fraternity.’ His first act was to lead the crowd in a prayer for the Pope Emeritus, Benedict. He led the faithful in reciting the Lord’s Prayer and asked the crowd to pray for him before blessing the people gathered in St. Peter’s Square and bidding them goodnight. The Vatican said he chose the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, who formed the Franciscan order, saying that the new Pope is a 'lover of the poor'. THE FIRST SPEECH FROM POPE FRANCISCO AND HE KICKS THINGS OFF WITH A DASH OF HUMOUR Brothers and sisters, good evening! You know that it was the duty of the conclave to give Rome a Bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals have gone to the ends of the earth to get one... but here we are... I thank you for your welcome. The diocesan community of Rome now has its Bishop. Thank you! And first of all, I would like to offer a prayer for our Bishop Emeritus, Benedict XVI. Let us pray together for him, that the Lord may bless him and that Our Lady may keep him. (Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be... ) And now, we take up this journey: Bishop and People. This journey of the Church of Rome which presides in charity over all the Churches. A journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world, that there may be a great spirit of fraternity. It is my hope for you that this journey of the Church, which we start today, and in which my Cardinal Vicar, here present, will assist me, will be fruitful for the evangelisation of this most beautiful city. And now I would like to give the blessing, but first - first I ask a favour of you: before the Bishop blesses his people, I ask you to pray to the Lord that he will bless me: the prayer of the people asking the blessing for their Bishop. Let us make, in silence, this prayer: your prayer over me. (...) Now I will give the blessing to you and to the whole world, to all men and women of goodwill. (Blessing) Brothers and sisters, I leave you now. Thank you for your welcome. Pray for me and until we meet again. We will see each other soon. Tomorrow I wish to go and pray to Our Lady, that she may watch over all of Rome. Good night and sleep well! While his choice may come as a surprise to many within the Catholic Church, it is understood Cardinal Bergoglio finished second, closely behind Joesph Ratzinger, in the last papal election. Ever since John Paul II died, the Argentine has been mooted as a possible successor. A trained chemist, he has been a cardinal since 2001 and is known for his humility, for years living in a modest apartment, rather than his official residence and taking public transport rather than his official limousine. The native Spanish speaker, who will be inaugurated on March 19, is multilingual, also speaking German and Italian - the language of the church. With two factions of cardinals struggling to decide whether to maintain a non-Italian papacy or to return to its traditional roots, Jorge Bergoglio seems to have emerged as a compromise candidate. But the Argentine is not young nor is he in good health, having one lung, the other having been removed due to infection when he was a teenager. He courted controversy in 2005 when a human rights lawyer filed a criminal complaint against him accusing the cardinal of conspiring with the Argentinian junta to kidnap two Jesuit priests in 1976. The military junta took charge of the country after Isabel Peron was overthrown by a right-wing coup. WAS CHOICE OF NAME HOMAGE TO THE SAINT WHO FOUNDED THE FRANCISCAN ORDER? Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio will probably within the next fortnight explain to the world why he chose the name Pope Francis I. The Vatican last night said it was a homage to St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century Italian founder of the Franciscan order, describing him as a 'lover of the poor'. The number 'I' makes it clear that there never has been a Pope Francis before – though there have been a number of saints to bear this name. St Francis of Assisi is a man who turned his back on power and wealth to dedicate himself to a radical life of Christian poverty, evangelisation and peace-making. St Francis was so holy that, according to Catholic belief, he received the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ, in his own body while still alive. The attraction of taking the name of a man who founded a religious order may be strong given that the new Pope is a member of an order himself. He belongs to the Jesuits, or the Society of Jesus, which for the 400 years the most popular order in the Catholic Church and its members were known for the bravery and academic excellence. During the Protestant Reformation, the Popes sent Jesuits on the English Mission to build up the Catholic Church under the noses of the Elizabethan authorities. Many of them – such as St Edmund Campion and St Robert Southwell – shed their blood on the scaffold of Tyburn and they have also died as martyrs in many other countries of the world. They grew so powerful that the heads of the Jesuits were known as the ‘black pope’ and were suppressed in the 18th century after their opposition to slavery infuriated the royal houses of France, Spain and Portugal. The choice of the name of the new pope may also be connected to one of the first Jesuits – St Francis Xavier – a close colleague of the 16th founder, St Ignatius of Loyola. St Francis was a missionary who took the Catholic faith to India and the Far East after Ignatius persuaded him to turn his back on a medical career. The missionary zeal might indicate the ambitions of Pope Francis as the Catholic Church is confronted with the crisis of the loss of faith and is once again redoubling its efforts to win souls for Christ – but this time in the secular West. In his role as superior of the Society of Jesus of Argentina that year, the cardinal had allegedly asked the priests to leave their pastoral work following conflict within the Society over how to respond to the new military dictatorship. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope, the collective name given to members of the Society of Jesus, which has been the greatest missionary force for Catholicism across the world since the 16th century. The first tweet of Francis I’s reign, posted on the papal Twitter account Pontifex, read: ‘HABEMUS PAPAM FRANCISCUM’, meaning ‘We have Pope Francis’. On his personal account, he tweeted shortly after the decision, writing: 'Perhaps a little humility in saying I am simply representative of God on Earth, just as God is representative of me in Heaven.' He followed this 20 minutes later with a message saying 'Extremely happy to be the new Pope, Francisco I'. Pope Benedict XVI joined Twitter in December, garnering more than 1.5 million followers before he ended his tweeting. Since then, the number of followers of @Pontifex has increased to more than 1.6 million. The account was reactivated after Francis was elected. Prominent figures from the world of politics and religious leaders began to send their regards to the new Pontiff last night. David Cameron tweeted: ‘A momentous day for the 1.2bn Catholics around the world as His Holiness Pope Francis I is appointed the 266th Bishop of Rome.’ US President Obama offered his warm wishes to the new Pope and said the choice of a Latin American ‘speaks to the strength and vitality of an increasingly-important region’. He described Pope Francis as a 'champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us', adding: 'As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world.' In an official letter, Argentinian president Cristina Kirchner wrote: ‘In my name, and in the name of the Argentine government and on behalf of the people of our country, I want to salute you and express my congratulations. ‘It is our desire that you have, on assuming the direction and guidance of the Church, a fruitful pastoral task working for such great responsibilities justice, equality, fraternity and the peace of humanity.’ Argentine footballer Maradona, famous for his ‘hand of God’ 1986 World Cup goal, also reacted to the news: ‘The next time I go to Italy I expect to have an audience with him,’ he said. UN general Secretary Ban Ki-Moon Ban Ki-moon congratulated Pope Francis via Twitter, saying he is looking forward to continued cooperation between the UN and the Holy See. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: 'We wish Pope Francis every blessing in the enormous responsibilities that he has assumed on behalf of Roman Catholics around the world. 'His election is also of great significance to Christians everywhere, not least among Anglicans. We have long since recognised, and often reaffirmed, that our churches hold a special place for one another.' He added: 'Pope Francis is well known as a compassionate pastor of real stature who has served the poor in Latin America, and whose simplicity and holiness of life is remarkable.' The new Pope was dressed in his papal robes and joined in prayer with the other cardinals before his appearance. In St. Peter's Square, there was a fleeting moment of indecision when the first plumes of smoke appeared from the Vatican chimney. Some cried out that it was black, signifying that no decision was made by the conclave. Then, seconds later under a steady rain, it became clear that white smoke was pouring out. Those gathered in the piazza appeared overwhelmed with emotion. Margarita Bolivar, a carer for the elderly from Peru said: ‘I never believed it was possible in my lifetime to have a Latin Pope. It’s so incredible to be here as he spoke for the very first time. I feel very emotional.’ The conclave was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned last month for health reasons, sending the church into turmoil and exposing deep divisions among cardinals tasked with finding a replacement to address issues within the church. Despite an open field with no obvious candidate, he was chosen unusually quickly, possibly because many of cardinals were keen to get a Pope before Easter and to return to their own flocks before then. Historically, conclaves have normally taken three or four days, although the 2005 election when Joseph Ratzinger was the clear front-runner was completed in four votes. For a new Pope to be chosen, a candidate needs a two-thirds majority, plus one, totalling 77 votes. Each cardinal would have written his preferred candidate’s name in disguised handwriting on a ballot paper. One by one cardinals go up to the front, placing the folded ballot in clear view, into a bronze urn. Votes were tallied by three ‘scrutineers’, and names read aloud. The ballots were then bound together by needle and thread. The election of the new Pope is likely to be among the fastest of all time, alongside the conclave that saw Pius Xii chosen after 20 hours in 1939. The longest conclave of the last century went on for 14 rounds over five days, and yielded Pius XI - in 1922. The October 1978 conclave, called when Pope John Paul I died just after 33 days in office, saw cardinals vote eight times before Karol Wojtyla was chosen and became Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul I’s conclave two months earlier again had only four ballots before he was chosen. These modern-day conclaves are extremely short though in comparison to the election of Gregory XI in 1271. His election took three years thanks to political infighting between cardinals, during which twenty of the those chosen to elect the pope died and one resigned. Thousands of faithful Catholics had waited in the rain outside the Sistine Chapel eagerly anticipating a decision. The pilgrims were disappointed yesterday morning, when the cardinals failed to make a decision after voting for a second time on a replacement for Benedict XVI. Black smoke poured out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel around 10.40am GMT to signify that the latest ballot had resulted in deadlock. Benedict's resignation has thrown the church into turmoil and exposed deep divisions among cardinals grappling with whether to pick a manager who can clean up the Vatican bureaucracy or a pastor who can inspire Catholics at a time of crisis. Before the announcement of a new Pontiff, the red-hatted and red-caped cardinals yesterday chanted and prayed for divine guidance as they prepared for a conclave to choose a pontiff who will face one of the most difficult periods in the Church's history. VOTE FOLLOWS SERIES OF CHOREOGRAPHED RULES HALLOWED BY TRADITION WHO VOTES? Only cardinals under age 80 are eligible. In this case, 115 men fit the bill. Two cardinals who were eligible stayed home: The emeritus archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Julius Darmaatjadja, who is ill, and Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who recused himself after admitting to inappropriate sexual behavior. WHAT IS THE RITUAL? The conclave's first day begins with the 'Pro eligendo Romano Pontificie' Mass for the election of a pope. In the afternoon, cardinals gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and file into the Sistine Chapel chanting the Litany of Saints and the Latin hymn 'Veni Creator,' imploring saints and the Holy Spirit to help them pick a pope. Standing under Michelangelo's 'Creation' and before his 'Last Judgment,' each cardinal places his hand on a book of the Gospels and pledges 'with the greatest fidelity' never to reveal the details of the conclave. A meditation on the qualities needed for the next pope and the challenges ahead for the church is delivered by Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech. The master of liturgical celebrations then cries 'Extra omnes,' Latin for 'all out.' Everyone except the cardinals leaves and the voting can begin. HOW DO THEY VOTE? Each cardinal writes his choice on a paper inscribed with the words 'Eligo in summen pontificem,' or 'I elect as Supreme Pontiff.' They approach the altar one by one and say: 'I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.' The folded ballot is placed on a round plate and slid into an oval silver and gold urn. In the past, a single chalice was used to hold the ballots. But conclave changes made by Pope John Paul II in 1996 required three vessels: one for chapel ballots, another for ailing cardinals at the Vatican who can vote from their beds and the third to hold the ballots after counting. WHAT HAPPENS ONCE THE POPE IS ELECTED? Once a cardinal has been elected pope, the master of liturgical ceremonies enters the Sistine Chapel and the senior cardinal asks 'Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?' Assuming the cardinal says 'I accept,' the senior cardinal then asks: 'By what name do you wish to be called?' The master of liturgical ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, then enters the information on a formal document. At this point, white smoke pours out of the Sistine Chapel chimney and bells of St Peters toll. The new pope then changes into his papal white cassock, and one-by-one the cardinals approach him to swear their obedience. In a change for this conclave, the new pope will stop and pray in the Pauline Chapel for a few minutes before emerging on the loggia of the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square. Preceding him to the balcony is French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the protodeacon, who announces 'Habemus Papam!' Latin for 'We have a pope'. The new pope then emerges and delivers his first public words as pope.
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