Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, of Argentina has been elected Pope. He is the first Pope from Latin America and the first from outside Europe in more than a thousand years.

Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio named Pope Francis

The new Pope was announced by French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran from a balcony over the main doors of St. Peter’s Basilica as tens of thousands of onlookers cheered from the square below. Barack Obama on Wednesday welcomed the papal election of Cardinal Bergoglio – the first pope to come from South America. Obama praised the new pope – who has taken the name Francis – for his previous work among the poor and his modest lifestyle adding that as a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, the new pope carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joined world leaders in congratulating the new Pope. Ban said he looks forward to continued cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See under the wise leadership of Pope Francis, and noted that the UN and the Catholic Church share many common goals – from the promotion of peace, social justice and human rights, to the eradication of poverty and hunger – all core elements of sustainable development. European Union leaders Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso wished the new Catholic leader a long and blessed pontificate.