Argentine Jorge Bergoglio elected Pope Francis

By: Web Staff

The leader of 1.2 billion Catholics has been introduced to the world for the first time as pope. Vivian Lee has more on Pope Francis' selection and the thousands that gathered in St. Peter's Square to see history being made.

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VATICAN CITY -- Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been named Francis I, the 266th Bishop of Rome, making him the first Jesuit leader of the Catholic Church and the first pontiff from the Americas.

Bergoglio, 76, will now lead the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, including more than 2 million in New York City.

He was chosen on the second day of the conclave that began on Tuesday.

Bergoglio reportedly received the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 papal election. He is regarded as an intellectual who modernized what had been one of the most conservative Roman Catholic churches in Latin America.

The decision by the College of Cardinals was indicated by white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Crowds who gathered in St. Peter's Square could be heard chanting in Latin "Habemus Papam" or "We have a pope'' while the bells of St. Peter's Basilica and churches across Rome tolled.

The decision in Vatican City came during the second round of ballots on the second day of the conclave. As per tradition, the white smoke came from the burning of ballots done two a day, after each round of voting.

This morning's round of voting ended with no new pope selected.

New York's Cardinal Dolan and Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston were said to be American shadow candidates.

The balloting process, which began Tuesday, required a candidate receive a two-thirds majority.

The selection of the new pope resulted from the resignation on February 28 of Pope Benedict XVI, who stepped down after almost eight years.

The outgoing 85-year-old pontiff shocked the world with his decision on February 11, citing health reasons, becoming the first pope to resign in almost 600 years.

The pope emeritus was seen as a caretaker pontiff and a champion of conservative Catholic theology.