Habemus Papam

Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio new Pope Francis

At the conclave in the Vatican on Wednesday evening, the cardinals elected a new Pope. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina was the surprise choice. This is the first time a Latin American has become head of the Roman Catholic Church. The pontiff presented himself to the faithful in St. Peter's Square with the name Francis. He blessed the crowd and called on the world to follow the path of love and brotherhood.

The election of the new head of the Catholic Church lasted just two days, with the decision being made after five rounds of voting on Wednesday evening shortly after 7pm. The 266th Pope then appeared in public for the first time shortly before 8.30 pm. Francis stepped onto the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and hundreds of thousands of people applauded enthusiastically.

Thanks to his predecessor Benedict XVI
The new pontiff paid tribute to his predecessor Benedict XVI, calling on the faithful to pray so that great brotherhood may reign in the world. The 76-year-old hopes that the path that began with his election will be fruitful for evangelization. Francis joked about his Argentinian origins. The conclave had "brought a pope from the other side of the world".

Francis prayed with the faithful
At the end of his short address, the new Pope prayed an Our Father and a Hail Mary for his predecessor with the faithful in St. Peter's Square. When Francis then asked the faithful to pray silently for him, the square, filled with tens of thousands of faithful and tourists, fell completely silent. After the apostolic blessing "Urbi et Orbi" - to the city and the world - Francis wished the cheering crowd a good night and withdrew.

The new Pope was born in Buenos Aires in 1936. The Jesuit (see infobox for biography) was not one of the favorites for the conclave to elect a successor to the resigned Benedict XVI. The Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who was ordained a cardinal by John Paul II in 2001, is known for his commitment to the socially disadvantaged. Never before in the history of the Church has a Jesuit been Pope.

Vatican spokesman: "Courageous choice"
The Vatican press spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, celebrated Bergoglio's election as the new Pope as a "courageous decision". "This election testifies to the courage of the cardinals to broaden the perspective of the Church. Never before has a Pope from another continent been elected," said Lombardi, who, like Bergoglio, is a Jesuit.

Lombardi emphasized that the new Pope is characterized by his modesty and simplicity, as the choice of the name Francis testifies. In this sense, Bergoglio is following in the footsteps of his predecessor Benedict XVI. "Bergoglio's election is a beautiful response to the expectations of the Latin American people," said Lombardi.

Brother of Benedict XVI "completely surprised"
For the brother of Benedict XVI emeritus, the election of Bergoglio as the new pontiff is certainly unexpected. "I am completely surprised," Georg Ratzinger told dpa. "I have no impression of him." The 89-year-old confessed that he "did not have Bergoglio on my list". He had never spoken to his brother about him. "The name never came up."

Küng: "Church always good for surprises"
The diocesan bishop of St. Pölten, Klaus Küng, was also surprised. The name Bergoglio was known, but not necessarily among those "who were considered candidates", said Küng on ORF. "But the Church is always good for surprises."

He was impressed by the way the new Pope "spoke his first words with great calm and humility", said Küng. Küng was "delighted" that Cardinal Christoph Schönborn will be returning to Austria. "Because being Pope is one of the greatest challenges imaginable."

Salzburg Archbishop Alois Kothgasser told ORF that he was impressed by the choice of the name Francis. This shows that the new Pope wants to follow the path of Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis stands for a "church of the poor".

Expert sees shift of power in the Vatican
Theologian and sociologist Karl Gabriel also described the election of the new Pope as a great surprise. The expert from the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster sees the appointment of the 76-year-old Argentinean as obvious proof that the power of the curia cardinals and the Roman forces in the Vatican have been weakened. "Bergoglio was prevented when Benedict was elected eight years ago. A lot has shifted here," Gabriel told dpa.

The researcher from the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" at the University of Münster assumes that the Vatican will deal with the issue of pomp and circumstance very differently in future. Social issues are already traditionally firmly anchored in the Catholic Church in South America. "I expect him to reform the curia," said Gabriel.

Thousands of people celebrated in St. Peter's Square
The 115 cardinal electors had gathered in the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday afternoon to elect a new man to the Chair of Peter, isolated from the outside world. A two-thirds majority was required to elect a pope. This was achieved on Wednesday evening in the fifth ballot.

As white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 7.06 pm, tens of thousands of people streamed into St. Peter's Square. Within minutes, crowds of pilgrims gathered on the Via della Conciliazione, which leads to the Vatican, and in the alleyways around the Holy See. One by one, bells rang out all over Rome. The bell of St. Peter's Basilica was the first to announce the election of the new Pope. The churches in Austria also announced the election of the new Pope.

First tweet: "Habemus Papam Franciscum"
The Twitter account "@Pontifex" was also put back into operation immediately after the election of the new Pope. "Habemus Papam Franciscum" was the new Pope's first tweet on Twitter at 8.33 pm. 

His predecessor Pope Benedict XVI had launched the Twitter channel on December 12, 2012 and quickly reached almost three million followers. After his resignation, the account was initially deactivated so that his successor could decide whether he wanted to continue tweeting under the same account.

266th head since St. Peter
The new Pope Francis is the 266th head of the Catholic Church since St. Peter. In fact, the previous list only contains 263 names, as one of Peter's successors, Benedict IX, reigned a total of three times in the eleventh century. One of his two reinstatements came after he had sold his office to Gregory VI in 1045 so that he could marry. However, he was apparently unable to persuade his chosen wife to marry him, which is why he returned to Rome.