Argentinian Archbishop starts his first day as new pope

The new pontiff has been elected; with Pope Francis I now looking towards his future in the Catholic Church

15:55 14 March 2013

After only two days of voting, the next pope has been chosen! The Archbishop of Buenos Aires has been elected with Pope Francis I now being the new head of the Catholic Church.

The news came on Wednesday night after 115 cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, who were casting their vote four times daily in order to reach a two-thirds majority, opted for the new pope.

The white smoke which arose from the chimney signalled that a decision had been reached, which was met with joy by the many thousands of people in the crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Square.

Although the weather wasn’t brilliant, those who had come together to witness the eagerly anticipated signal didn’t have dampened spirits. And excitement grew when Pope Francis made his first appearance shortly after 8pm in Rome.

The new pontiff made a point that he wanted to say a prayer for the former pope, Benedict XVI, who resigned on “8th February.

Prior to his new position the new pontiff was known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He will be the 266th holy man to be appointed as pope. He began his first day with a mass at the Papal Basilica, St. Mary Major.

Now, Pope Francis will have an action packed schedule, especially with Easter occurring shortly after his election. The holy man is the first Jesuit to reign as pope.