Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio,76, from Argentina has been elected pope, becoming the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He has taken the name Pope Francis. At 7:06 p.m. Wednesday, the white smoke puffed out of the chimney, sending a message to the people that a pope had been elected.
Pope Francis greeted the faithful Wednesday night in Vatican City. The Latin American pontiff marks a list of firsts. The first Jesuit pope. The first pope from the Americas. The first Pope Francis.
Reports today indicate the new pope is a simple man. He rode the bus, visited the poor and cooked his own meals.
Pope Francis will be installed Tuesday, March 19.
Pope Francis
Photo credit:
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
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