His Holiness Francis, S.J.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentinian cardinal, was chosen as the new pope today at the Vatican, ending a selection process that had been launched with the resignation of Benedict XVI just a few weeks ago. Bergoglio was the archbishop of Buenos Aires. He is the Argentine-born son of an Italian railway worker. He was described as a compassionate conservative who reportedly came in second during the 2005 balloting that ultimately elected Benedict XVI. The 76-year-old Jesuit is described as prizing simplicity and humility and is thought to plan to encourage priests to do shoe-leather evangelization. When Argentina adopted same-sex “marriage,” three years ago, Bergoglio said “everyone loses” with “gay” marriage and “children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother.” The cardinals who pick the pope by election are sworn to secrecy about the deliberations for the leader of the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world.

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