VATICAN CITY – White smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel and bells rang out across Rome on Wednesday, signaling to the world that the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church have chosen a new pope and he is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He will lead the worlds 1.2 Billion Catholics.
Cheers, shouts and applause erupted from the soaked crowd that had gathered in St Peter’s Square despite torrential rain to await the decision of the 115 cardinal-electors.
Smoke billowed from the chimney at 7:07 p.m. (2:07 p.m. ET) on the second day of behind-closed-doors voting and marked the beginning to a new era for a church combating scandal and internal strife.
The cardinals are thought to have taken five ballots to reach the two-third majority necessary for a decision.
The new leader of the church’s 1.2 billion worshippers was expected to be unveiled imminently on a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Before being introduced, he was being taken from the Sistine Chapel into a side room called the “Room of Tears” to be dressed in the papal clothes.
His appearance will be heralded by a Latin announcement begins with the phrase “Habemus Papam!” meaning, “We have a pope!”
Edward Egan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York, said he was confident that the new pope, whoever he might be, would “give us the kind of guidance and support that we are looking for.”
Egan said the new pope needed five qualities. He should be “a man of prayer, who loves leading public prayer and privately prays with joy and fulfillment;” “a man who repeats the gospel message in an uncomplicated manner;” and “a leader who will lead on the great questions of the day,” which he said were “justice, compassion and peace.”
He should also “know how to govern” and had to be “a person who can handle criticism with calm and with total trust in God,” Egan said.
The papal election follows the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 28.
Courtest of www.thebellereport.net www.twitter.com/thebellereport
