Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Elected Pope
What do you think of Pope Francis I's election as the new head of the Catholic Church, Oakland Township and Lake Orion?
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Roman Catholic cardinals elected Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who will be known as Pope Francis I, to lead the church Wednesday.
White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel ahead of the announcement, which followed two days of secret voting at the Vatican to replace Benedict XVI of Germany.
Francis, 76, is the first non-European to be selected in modern times and the first South American pope, according to cnn.com.
He reportedly received the second-most votes after his predecessor Joseph Ratzinger in 2005, USA TODAY reports.
"Bergoglio never lived in the ornate church mansion in Buenos Aires, preferring a simple bed in a downtown room heated by a small stove," the news website says. "For years, he took public transportation around the city and cooked his own meals."
Bergoglio leans to the conservative side on doctrinal and spiritual issues, opposes abortion and supports celibacy among priests, according to the Washington Post.
[What do you think of the choice? Leave a comment!]
Dan Beaubien
4:39 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The question is, will he address the centuries old, senseless traditions that have led Catholicism to where it is today? There are reasons why the church is rocked with scandal. Will the new pope be brave enough to confront these issues, or will he follow the lead of his cowardly predecessors, and conduct "business as usual?"