Pope Francis I: Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is new Catholic leader

Story by NBC News
By Alastair Jamieson and Ian Johnston

VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was named leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics on Wednesday after being elected pope. He will be known as Pope Francis I.

The 76-year-old - the first Jesuit, the first South American and the first non-European pope of the modern era - was introduced to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in front of tens of thousands gathered in the square below.



In Italian, he joked with the rain-soaked crowd before delivering his blessing, saying: "As you know the duty of the conclave is to give Rome a bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world."

“Pray for me and I will see you soon," he told the crowd, asking them to also pray for his predecessor Benedict XVI, who abdicated on Feb. 28. "Have a good evening and rest well.”

About an hour before he emerged, white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel and bells rang out across Rome to signal a decision had been made, prompting cheers and wild applause.

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