Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio Is Elected Pope

By Ann Rodgers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
March 14, 2013

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/world/argentine-cardinal-jorge-bergoglio-is-elected-pope-679203/

VATICAN CITY -- Before a crowd that had cheered, cried and roared as white smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the first pope from the Western Hemisphere took the name of the world's most beloved saint Wednesday night as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis.

"Holy smoke!" the Rev. Michael Sedor, a newly ordained Pittsburgh priest, shouted as the white clouds billowed in the dark square, where thousands had shivered in the cold rain all day. Soon after France's Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran announced his name, the crowd began chanting "Francesco! Francesco!"

Inside, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York would reveal later, the new pope had asked Vatican personnel still waiting to greet him if he could do that later so the crowd wouldn't have to wait in the cold any longer. ...

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests expressed cautious hope for the new pontificate, saying that Cardinal Bergoglio had handled a case in his archdiocese well. They noted that he is from a religious order, and said that religious orders have a worse track record than bishops on responding to complaints of sex abuse.

"We're struck by how this new pope, coming from a religious order, has both an enormous opportunity and duty to help prevent heinous assaults against kids by this crucial and relatively secretive segment of the Catholic clergy," said David Clohessy, the executive director of SNAP.

"We are grateful he doesn't work in the Vatican and isn't a member of the Curia.

"We hope that will give him the courage to shake things up and put the prevention of abuse and cover up first on his priority list."