After twos days of secret meetings between the papal conclave, white smoke was seen billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday afternoon signaling the election of a new Pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires.
Bergoglio, 76, is a Jesuit cardinal and the son of an Italian railway worker. He becomes the first Jesuit and first Latin American pontiff, according to news reports, and has taken the name Pope Francis, the first pope to use this name.
He addressed the crowd below from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Born Dec. 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, he was ordained for the Jesuits on Dec. 13, 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel, according to the Vatican’s website.
He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology. He was Provincial for Argentina (1973-1979) and rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel (1980-1986). After completing his doctoral dissertation in Germany, he served as a confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba.
On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, receiving episcopal consecration on 27 June. On 3 June 1997 was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires and succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998. He is also Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite.
Adjunct Relator General of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2001.
He served as President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 8 November 2005 until 8 November 2011.
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