ARGENTINE Cardinal Jorge Mario
Bergoglio succeeded Benedict XVI as the Catholic Church’s 266th
pope.
The new pontiff, who took the name Francis I,
emerged at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica amid thunderous applause of the
crowd who have patiently prayed and waited for the election of the new pontiff.
It took almost an hour after the white smoke wafted
out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel announcing that a new pope has been
elected before French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran came out of the balcony to
announce the election and the name of the new pope.
At 76, the ne pope is two years younger than
Benedict XVI when the pope emeritus assumed the papacy.
Born in Buenos Aires, Francis I was ordained a
Jesuit on December 13, 1969. He was appointed novice Master and later on
provincial for Argentina from 1973-1979.
He was also rector of the Philosophical and
Theological Faculty of San Miguel from 1980-1986. He likewise served as
confessor and spiritual director in Cordoba after having completed his doctoral
dissertation in Germany.
On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of
Buenos Aires, and was consecrated bishop on 27 June of the same year.
He was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires on 3 June 1997 and
took over the post after Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998.
Bergoglio was the Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who
lack an Ordinary of their own rite.
Among other responsibilities he held previously include: Adjunct Relator
General of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops, October 2001 and serving as President of the Bishops' Conference of
Argentina from 8 November 2005 until 8 November 2011.
He was created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001.
Bergoglio was also a member of Congregations: for Divine Worship and
Discipline of the Sacraments; for the Clergy; for Institutes of Consecrated
Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Pontifical Council for the Family and Pontifical
Commission for Latin America.
As Pope Francis I, Bergoglio is the new spiritual leader of an estimated
1.2 billion Catholics around the world. (CBCPNews)
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