New Pope Francis Elected: Catholics in Fredericksburg Respond
The white smoke appeared on Wednesday, signaling the conclave had chosen Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to be the new head of the Catholic Church.
Live coverage of The Vatican as people wait for the new pope to emerge.
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Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been named Pope. The first Latin American Pope has chosen the name Francis.
- Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the former archbishop of Buenos Aires.
- Pope Francis, 76, is the first non-European pope in the modern era and the first South American pope.
- He's the third straight non-Italian pope.
Millions world-wide watched the announcement and pageantry live on YouTube.
Fredericksburg Catholics have been praying for the selection of the new Pope since the Conclave began.
Related stories on Fredericksburg Patch:
- New Pope Selected, Name Announced Soon
- Fredericksburg Catholics Pray for Conclave, New Pope
- Pope Benedict XVI to Resign: Fredericksburg Catholics React
- Diocesan Statement on Pope Benedict XVI
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Dave
4:08 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
A humble South American Jesuit - interesting!
Susan Larson
4:54 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
From an email: "My confirmation name is Francis, taken in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. So I'm excited the new Pope has taken that name. St. Francis was a humble man who served the poor and loved the animals. Perhaps this reflects the desire of the man now chosen Pope."
PiedmontN8ive
3:12 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
There are dozens and dozens of issues within the Church that will hopefully be realized by the Pope Francis. Catholics are not of one mind on all the concerns of the Church today and these differences can be a source of painful divisions. But, diversity can also be positive. These differences can be very helpful because they provide diverse perspectives that contribute to the final understandings of the best course of action.
My hope is that our new Pope Francis will have the wisdom to hear and understand all sides of these complex issues. I pray that this Pope make one of his top priorities the re-evaluation of the Catholic hierarchy’s approach to the many divisive issues within today’s Church.