When Jorge Bergoglio
stepped onto the balcony at the Vatican on Wednesday evening to reveal
himself as the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, he made
history as the first non-European pope of the modern era, the first from
Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to assume the name
Francis.
Thursday will be low-key.
Francis began the day by
praying at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. The Mass with the
cardinals will take place at the Sistine Chapel.
His next public appearance will likely be Sunday.
The new pontiff will
"very probably" say Mass at St. Peter's and then deliver the traditional
Angelus blessing, said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.
But it won't be until Tuesday that Francis will be formally installed as pope.
That's by design. The day coincides with the Feast of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Italy.
As pope, Francis takes
the helm of a Catholic Church that has been rocked in recent years by
sex abuse by priests, and claims of corruption and infighting among the
church hierarchy.
Reflecting the urgency
of those concerns, a group representing the alleged victims of sexual
abuse by priests has written an open letter to Pope Francis requesting a
meeting.
"Your predecessor met
only a few times with a few carefully chosen victims in tightly
choreographed settings, as he visited nations where this crisis had
reached a fever pitch," the letter from the Survivors Network of Those
Abused by Priests states.
"We write today seeking a
different kind of meeting -- one in which our respective organizations
-- yours, huge and struggling, and ours, small and struggling -- can
begin to work together to safeguard children across the globe."
Pope Francis will most likely not be meeting with Benedict XVI on Thursday.
Earlier, the Vatican had
said a meeting would take place between the two. But a Vatican
spokesman said he does not believe the pope will go on Thursday to
Castel Gandolfo, the summer papal residence where Benedict is staying.
Conservative reformer
The 76-year-old, who
served as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, is the first pope to take the
name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, revered among Catholics for his
work with the poor.
The pontiff is
considered a straight shooter who calls things as he sees them, and a
follower of the church's most social conservative wing.
As a cardinal, he
clashed with the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de
Kirchner over his opposition to gay marriage and free distribution of
contraceptives.
He was runner-up in the 2005 papal conclave, behind then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
The new pope brings together the first and the developing worlds.
Latin America is home to 480 million Catholics.
By choosing him, the cardinals sent a strong message about where the future of the church may lie.
CNN iReporter Cesar Sotolongo in Lima, Peru,
said the election of a Latin American pope, particularly from the
Jesuit order, marked "a new chapter" for the Catholic Church.
Originally from Florida,
Sotolongo also has his own advice for Francis. "The pope should shape
the church with what he has been doing during his career [as an
example]," he said. "Stay in contact with the people, communicate
clearly, promote the unification of faith and ... and represent the word
of Jesus."
A Jesuit pope
Born in Buenos Aires to an Italian immigrant father, Francis is known for his simplicity.
He chose to live in an
apartment rather than the archbishop's palace, passed on a chauffeured
limousine, took the bus to work and cooked his own meals.
He was ordained by the
Jesuits in 1969 and became co-archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1997, sole
archbishop of that city one year later.
He was made a cardinal in 2001 and served as president of the Argentine bishops conference from 2005-11.
As a Jesuit, Francis is a member of the Society of Jesus, one of the biggest and most important orders in the church.
Jesuits are recognized for their exceptional educational institutions and focus on social justice.
"Jesuits are
characterized by their service to the Church ... but trying to avoid
positions of power," said Lombardi, who is also a Jesuit. "I am
absolutely convinced that we have a pope who wants to serve.
"His election was the election of a rejection of power."
'Stunning choice' of name
His selection of the
name of Pope Francis is "the most stunning" choice and "precedent
shattering," CNN Vatican analyst John Allen said. "The new pope is
sending a signal that this will not be business as usual."
The name symbolizes "poverty, humility, simplicity and rebuilding the Catholic Church," Allen said.
Miguel Diaz, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, agreed, calling the new pontiff's choice of names "very significant."
"Francis of Assisi is
the saint who opted for the little ones in God's kingdom," he said.
"This man represents a change and could potentially be a great gift for
leadership, servant leadership, for all of us within the church and
society."
It is something the Catholic Church says it desperately needs.
"If you look back over
the past years -- the crisis of abuse, the scandals here at the Vatican,
financial mismanagement, questions about the leaks and everything --
when you step back from it all, every crisis we faced ultimately is a
crisis of holiness that we've missed the calling," said the Rev. Thomas
Rosica, the Vatican's deputy spokesman.
"We've moved far away from what we're supposed to be."
World reacts
Word of the election of
Pope Francis, who was not considered a front-runner among analysts,
quickly spread around the globe, with everyone from U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to U.S. President Barack Obama offering
congratulations.
"As the first pope from
the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a
region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions
of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of
this historic day," Obama said.
Ban said the new pope shares common goals with the United Nations, from the promotion of peace to social justice.
"We also share the
conviction that we can only resolve the interconnected challenges of
today's world through dialogue," he said.
Nowhere was the reaction to his selection as pope more heartfelt than in Latin America.
"I am truly still very
surprised ... not just that a Latino pope came out, but that he is an
Argentinian from Buenos Aires," the Rev. Eduardo Mangiarotti, an
Argentine priest, told CNN en Español.
It's a "huge event" not only for the church in Latin America but worldwide, he said.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, greeted the selection with "extraordinary joy."
"I have been hoping that
we would move into the Southern Hemisphere and especially I think many
of us had hoped ... we would have a pope who would come from Latin
America," he said.
"One-half of the
Catholics in the world are from Latin America, so this is a way the
cardinals have very graciously acknowledged that."
Filipino priest and CNN iReporter Joel Camaya was among the tens of thousands who witnessed history Wednesday night in St. Peter's Square, as Francis emerged on the balcony.
"The multitude, from all
parts of the world, were ecstatic to be in the square for this
beautiful occasion," he said. "This was one event that left me
teary-eyed and thanking God for making me a Catholic."
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