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Argentine cardinal is new pope

Argentine archbishop Jorge Bergoglio has been elected pope, the first ever from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium.

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Pope Francis' schedule for next few days

This is Pope Francis' schedule for the next few days (all times are local: GMT+1):

  • Thursday 11am - Mass in the Sistine Chapel with the other cardinals
  • Friday 11am - Audience with cardinals
  • Saturday 11am - Audience with journalists
  • Sunday - Pope to recite Angelus
  • Tuesday 9:30am - Installation Mass in Sistine Chapel

(Catholic News Service)

English and Welsh cardinals express 'joy' at choice

On behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, I wish to express my great joy at the news of the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 265th Successor of St Peter and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.

As he begins his new Apostolic ministry, as the Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the universal Church, Pope Francis I may be assured of the prayers and loving support of the Catholic community throughout England and Wales.

– Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President, Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

Bergoglio was 'rank outsider' to become new pope

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was elected as the new pope today, waves to the St Peter's Square crowd. Credit: REUTERS/100eos1d

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a rank outsider to be elected as the next Pope, according to Ladbrokes.

The bookmaker offered odds of 33-1 on Bergoglio to take the Vatican role and claim that no more than £10 was staked on the eventual winner in any single bet.

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Biographer speaks of Pope Francis' 'sense of humility'

The new pope's authorised biographer, Sergio Rubin, has said that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio believes in the importance of pastoral work and building the Catholic flock.

In an interview with the Associated Press, he also dwelled on Bergoglio's humility:

It's a very curious thing: When bishops meet, he always wants to sit in the back rows. This sense of humility is very well seen in Rome.

Rubin said he has also been a vocal critic of human rights abuses and the International Monetary fund:

Bergoglio has been very critical of human rights violations during the dictatorship, but he has always also criticized the leftist guerrillas; he doesn't forget that side ...

Is Bergoglio a progressive — a liberation theologist even? No. He's no third-world priest. Does he criticize the International Monetary Fund, and neoliberalism? Yes. Does he spend a great deal of time in the slums? Yes

Astronaut tweets image of Vatican from space

Colonel Christopher Hadfield - an astronaut currently orbiting Earth in the International Space Station - has tweeted an image of the Vatican from space.

Read: Queen's message to tweeting astronaut

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