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| Pope Francis: faithful left dazed and amazed in St Peter's Square | Pope Francis: faithful left dazed and amazed in St Peter's Square |
| (25 days later) | |
| 'Oh mamma mia! Oh la la! The light is on in the loggia! Habemus papam!" cried Sister Walburga, a polyglot nun from Germany who almost ran out of languages in her excitement as a shadow formed behind the curtain on the balcony. | 'Oh mamma mia! Oh la la! The light is on in the loggia! Habemus papam!" cried Sister Walburga, a polyglot nun from Germany who almost ran out of languages in her excitement as a shadow formed behind the curtain on the balcony. |
| When, minutes later, the new pope stepped forward, he was greeted with a huge roar that echoed around St Peter's Square and befitted his new status as the 266th infallible leader of the Roman Catholic church. But his first words could hardly have been less grand, or less distant. "Dear brothers and sisters," he said, simply. "Good evening." | When, minutes later, the new pope stepped forward, he was greeted with a huge roar that echoed around St Peter's Square and befitted his new status as the 266th infallible leader of the Roman Catholic church. But his first words could hardly have been less grand, or less distant. "Dear brothers and sisters," he said, simply. "Good evening." |
| With his head tilted slightly to the side and a smile that seemed almost apologetic, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Buenos Aires-born son of a railway worker from Turin seemed almost as dazed as everyone else as he appeared before the cheering masses. | With his head tilted slightly to the side and a smile that seemed almost apologetic, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Buenos Aires-born son of a railway worker from Turin seemed almost as dazed as everyone else as he appeared before the cheering masses. |
| "You know the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome," he said, and then laughing: "It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. But here we are. Thank you for the welcome." | "You know the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome," he said, and then laughing: "It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. But here we are. Thank you for the welcome." |
| Of course, the crowd welcomed him in style. They would not have done anything else. They waved their handkerchiefs, flew their flags, chanted 'long live the pope'. Once his papal name had been announced, they chanted that, too, in its Italian form of Francesco. | Of course, the crowd welcomed him in style. They would not have done anything else. They waved their handkerchiefs, flew their flags, chanted 'long live the pope'. Once his papal name had been announced, they chanted that, too, in its Italian form of Francesco. |
| Those from Bergoglio's home continent, particularly, went wild with enthusiasm. "A Latin American pope!" cried Rafael Duno, a 22-year-old student from Venezuela wrapped in his national flag. "I hope it'll be a good change for the church, a chance for another reality. And even if we don't know him too well we will do soon." | Those from Bergoglio's home continent, particularly, went wild with enthusiasm. "A Latin American pope!" cried Rafael Duno, a 22-year-old student from Venezuela wrapped in his national flag. "I hope it'll be a good change for the church, a chance for another reality. And even if we don't know him too well we will do soon." |
| But if many in the crowd appeared confused, it was perhaps because they did not know quite what to make of the "great news" given to them at 8.12pm by the French cardinal whose duty it was to pronounce "Habemus Papam". Such had been the speculation surrounding Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, and the Brazilian, Pedro Odilo Scherer, that when the name was given, many brows were left furrowed. | But if many in the crowd appeared confused, it was perhaps because they did not know quite what to make of the "great news" given to them at 8.12pm by the French cardinal whose duty it was to pronounce "Habemus Papam". Such had been the speculation surrounding Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, and the Brazilian, Pedro Odilo Scherer, that when the name was given, many brows were left furrowed. |
| "It was the first time I'd heard of him; the first time I'd heard his name," said one 31-year-old priest. Sister Walburga did not know who he was. Jean Tonglet, a Belgian, did know who he was and did know that he had a reputation for supporting the poor. But he also knew, with a note of regret, that the 76-year-old was "not too young". "We'll see. We'll soon discover," he said. | "It was the first time I'd heard of him; the first time I'd heard his name," said one 31-year-old priest. Sister Walburga did not know who he was. Jean Tonglet, a Belgian, did know who he was and did know that he had a reputation for supporting the poor. But he also knew, with a note of regret, that the 76-year-old was "not too young". "We'll see. We'll soon discover," he said. |
| Others, though, had already seen enough. "Bellissimo, bellissimo," repeated Riccardo, an Italian public sector worker, while Francis I introduced himself to his 1.2 billion-strong flock. "His face is very beautiful." And, when the new pope asked for the people's blessing before he gave them his, Riccardo gave his solemn verdict: "A great." He had been impressed, he said, by the new pontiff's appearance of "humility, like a pastor". | Others, though, had already seen enough. "Bellissimo, bellissimo," repeated Riccardo, an Italian public sector worker, while Francis I introduced himself to his 1.2 billion-strong flock. "His face is very beautiful." And, when the new pope asked for the people's blessing before he gave them his, Riccardo gave his solemn verdict: "A great." He had been impressed, he said, by the new pontiff's appearance of "humility, like a pastor". |
| He wasn't the only one. Federica Perotta and her mother Giuliana Leone were instantly won over by Borgoglio's simple style. "Good evening! He said 'good evening!'," said Perotta, as if she could hardly believe their luck. "Wonderful. It was like he was a relative. He seemed very close to us. And the closer he is to us, the closer we are to God." Leone said. "He was the pope we'd been looking for," she said. "I hope he'll be able to renew the world with faith. And I think he'll manage it because he has a paternal face. " | He wasn't the only one. Federica Perotta and her mother Giuliana Leone were instantly won over by Borgoglio's simple style. "Good evening! He said 'good evening!'," said Perotta, as if she could hardly believe their luck. "Wonderful. It was like he was a relative. He seemed very close to us. And the closer he is to us, the closer we are to God." Leone said. "He was the pope we'd been looking for," she said. "I hope he'll be able to renew the world with faith. And I think he'll manage it because he has a paternal face. " |
| Thousands of people – the young and old, believers and non-believers, Americans, Italians, Latin Americans – had been waiting in the square for the new pope for hours. In the relentless rain, they stood beneath umbrellas singing, praying and keeping their eyes transfixed on the large television screens showing the chimney of the Sistine chapel. Toddlers were placed on stools by their mothers; the elderly were warmed by their relatives. For one woman, 76-year-old Am Nguyen from Vietnam, it was the experience of a lifetime – quite literally. "My mother wanted to see the pope before she dies," said her daughter. "Now, she says, she's very, very happy." | Thousands of people – the young and old, believers and non-believers, Americans, Italians, Latin Americans – had been waiting in the square for the new pope for hours. In the relentless rain, they stood beneath umbrellas singing, praying and keeping their eyes transfixed on the large television screens showing the chimney of the Sistine chapel. Toddlers were placed on stools by their mothers; the elderly were warmed by their relatives. For one woman, 76-year-old Am Nguyen from Vietnam, it was the experience of a lifetime – quite literally. "My mother wanted to see the pope before she dies," said her daughter. "Now, she says, she's very, very happy." |
| For many the new papacy was a chance for a new era, a line in the sand after Benedict XVI's fraught eight years of trouble and scandal. "We are so happy," said Raffaele Esposita, an Italian bricklayer. "Now we hope for a good pope and a strong pope – most of all strong. It doesn't matter where he's from – Italian, white, Asian, whatever. What matters is that there is renewal." | For many the new papacy was a chance for a new era, a line in the sand after Benedict XVI's fraught eight years of trouble and scandal. "We are so happy," said Raffaele Esposita, an Italian bricklayer. "Now we hope for a good pope and a strong pope – most of all strong. It doesn't matter where he's from – Italian, white, Asian, whatever. What matters is that there is renewal." |
| Two priests from Kerala, standing in the rain, alluded to the scandals that had dogged his predecessor. Borgoglio needed to "guide the church efficiently". "This is not the time to speak about [scandals]," one said. "This is a time of joy." | Two priests from Kerala, standing in the rain, alluded to the scandals that had dogged his predecessor. Borgoglio needed to "guide the church efficiently". "This is not the time to speak about [scandals]," one said. "This is a time of joy." |
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