March 14, 2013
Kalaivaraikalai
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Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio's election as pope has broken
Europe's centuries-old grip on the papacy, opening the doors on a new
age of simplicity and humility for the Roman Catholic Church, mired in
intrigue and scandal.
He is the first South American pontiff, the first non-European pope
in 1,300 years and the first to take the name Pope Francis, in honour of
St. Francis of Assisi, the 12th century saint who spurned wealth to
pursue a life of poverty.
His elevation on the second day of a
closed-door conclave of cardinals came as a surprise, with many Vatican
watchers expecting a longer deliberation, and none predicting the
conservative 76-year-old Bergoglio would get the nod. He looked as
startled as everyone, hesitating a moment on the balcony of St Peter's
Basilica before stepping out to greet the huge crowds gathered in the
square below to catch a glimpse of the new pontiff.
"I ask a
favour of you ... pray for me," he urged the cheering crowds, telling
them the 114 other cardinal-electors "went almost to the end of the
world" to find a new leader.
He also offered a prayer to his
predecessor, Pope Benedict, who resigned unexpectedly last month, after
saying he was too frail to tackle the many problems assailing the
world's largest organisation, which has an estimated 1.2 billion
members.
"Good night and have a good rest," Bergoglio said before
disappearing back into the opulent surroundings of the Vatican City - a
far cry from his simple apartment in Buenos Aires. Delighted priests,
nuns and pilgrims danced around the obelisk in the middle of St Peter's
Square, chanting: "Long Live the Pope" and "Argentina, Argentina". In
his native Argentina, jubilant Catholics poured into their local
churches to celebrate.
"I hope he changes all the luxury that
exists in the Vatican, that he steers the Church in a more humble
direction, something closer to the gospel," said Jorge Andres Lobato, a
73-year-old retired state prosecutor.
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