White smoke.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

The new pope has been chosen. That's quicker than I thought it would be.

Wonder who,it is?

Very quick. Can't remember how long it takes to announce.

it won't be a girl anyway

I'm hoping that they have seen sense and elected Sister Wendy - she would be fab!

I hope it's an Italian.

I just found it depressing to see all those old men in red cloaks yesterday voting in one of their number to make up rules about how the half of the Catholic population that are women should behave. Like they have a clue...

RooneyMara

and TheregoesBod

I think its a worry that they have been so quick - so another far right Pope

Let us hope he is bold and humble enough to make the radical changes needed...
Its quick turnaround could mean it isnt an outsider as John Paul II was.
I agree grimbletart

bergoglio

Age76

CountryArgentina

OutlookModerate

CareerAcademic

Papabile means "considered a likely contender for pope"

The archbishop of Buenos Aires is a Jesuit intellectual who travels by bus and has a practical approach to poverty: when he was appointed a cardinal, Bergoglio persuaded hundreds of Argentinians not to fly to Rome to celebrate with him but instead to give the money they would have spent on plane tickets to the poor. He was a fierce opponent of Argentinas decision to legalise gay marriage in 2010, arguing children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother. He was created a cardinal by John Paul II on 21 February 2001.
?believes in contraception to prevent the spread of disease
?is open to dialogue with other faiths
?is not facing questions over any abuse scandals
?is not facing questions over the handling of the Vatileaks scandal
?would make reforming the curia a priority

Jon Snow's Channel 4 commentary is pathetic for such a big occasion. He actually said
"poor chap, he will have to move house" more than once.

BBC is ok wish I knew what he was saying..

Apparently he is a Jesuit, and the first ever Jesuit pope

www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/new-pope-elected.1363198450

What - he believes in contraception - surely this must be a miracle

Know nothing about catholicism but got the impression that Jesuits were meant to be the scarier sort of priest....

God. I said to my catholic mother last night on the phone that I wondered if it could be a woman - this was prior to them deciding - she laughed like I was really stupid. I was sure they had woman priests, but apparently that's not the catholics.

Oh well.

Jon Snow's bubbly, effervescent, bouncing reportage where he told us that the "chap" was a "liberal Latin American" gave an impression that the name Francis was to do with Francis of Assissi. But it is now becoming clearer that the name may be to do with Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Jesuits.

I think a Jesuit pope, the first ever, is very significant.

On Radio 4 Today's programme, a Jesuit told us that Francis Xavier was canonized on March 12.

Wikipedia says that he chose Francis because of Francis of Assissi

Bergoglio was elected pope on 13 March 2013,[30][31] the second day of the 2013 papal conclave, taking the papal name Francis.[32] Vatican deputy spokesman Thomas Rosica said the same day that the new pontiff had chosen the name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, and had done so because the new pontiff was a lover of the poor.[33][34][35] Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a first-person witness and participant in the proceedings of the Conclave, confirmed that immediately after the selection was announced, the new Pope said, "I choose the name Francis, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi."[36] Some of those not initially aware of the statement made by the new Pope in the Conclave mistakenly believed that, as a Jesuit, he chose Francis in recognition of Francis Xavier,[37][38] which it cannot be, as the Pope's name is not "Francis Xavier".

On the day of his election, the Vatican clarified that his official papal name was Francis, not "Francis I". A Vatican spokesman said that the name would become Francis I if and when there is a Francis II.[39]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis

But what exactly is a Jesuit?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus

I keep getting it all mixed up with Dan Brown's Angels and Demons...

Very hot on education I believe. I think they run the Irish Christian Brothers schools though may be wrong.

The main thing I know about them is their saying "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man".

So Jesuits are hot on education and obedience .... But why educate them if you want them to obey?

Reading that Wiki page they sound quite grim in a Sister Assumpta helping you give stuff up for Lent kind of way (one for the Father Ted fans). Still.. I hear this new pope is already strap-hanging on the Rome buses and will probably be telling all his cardinals to trade the limo for a bike. If he flogs off the Vatican treasures and converts it into a hostel for the homeless religion could start to get interesting.