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Updated: 4:30 p.m. EDT.
VATICAN CITY — Argentine Jorge Bergoglio has been elected pope, the first ever from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He chose the name Pope Francis.
After announcing “Habemus Papum” — “We have a pope!” — a cardinal standing on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday revealed the identity of the new pontiff, using his Latin name. Bergoglio had reportedly finished second in the 2005 conclave that produced Benedict XVI — who last month became the first pope to resign in 600 years.
Pope Francis speaks from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio who chose the name of Francis, is the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
Photo: Gregorio Borgia, AP
The 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and shoe-leather priests.
LGBT rights in the new pontiff’s home country of Argentina are the most advanced in Latin America, following the legalization of same-sex marriage, that also includes full adoption rights, on July 15, 2010.
At that time, then-Cardinal Bergoglio spoke out in opposition the the marriage bill, calling it “a destructive pretension against the plan of God … We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”
Herndon Graddick, President of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), reacted to the election of the new Pope:
“For decades the Catholic hierarchy has been in need of desperate reform. In his life, Jesus condemned gays zero times. In Pope Benedict’s short time in the papacy, he made a priority of condemning gay people routinely. This, in spite of the fact, that the Catholic hierarchy had been in collusion to cover up the widespread abuse of children within its care.
“We hope this Pope will trade in his red shoes for a pair of sandals and spend a lot less time condemning and a lot more time foot-washing.
“The National Catholic reporter said Pope Francis called adoption by gay and lesbian people a form of discrimination against children. The real discrimination against children is the pedophilia that has run rampant in the Catholic Church with little more than collusion from the Vatican.”
The Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said it was a “good hypothesis” that Francis would be installed next Tuesday, on the feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church.
Filed under: Editor's Picks, Europe
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who cares that church hates us ffs
I hope this one is gay or at least transgender.
seeing lots of flags waving… amazingly not a Rainbow one in site!
screw it they took over the talk!!!!!!
Cracks me up that in 2013 we still use smoke to communicate. They should Tweet the decision, get with the times man!
Good, now I can sleep in peace… Can’t be good.
Well Melanie . I did see a rainbow umbrella
I heard they’re hoping that this one supports gay marriage. I guess more and more churches are accepting homosexuality.
eh.. it’s another dumb event just saying.. -_-” yeah they probly hate us anyways rofl..
hello thats funny eric i want a gay president that would change everything so me and my husband can merry
Eric Edelman– Gay or at least transgender? Wtf? As if being one is better or worse than the other? Isn’t the whole fucking point that we’re all human?
.,the pope is gay!
Thank you John.
And Marc I hope you are joking. Tradition is important and losing that in lieu of technology is asinine
It’s all smoke and mirrors anyway.
@Dani, if everyone thought the way you do, we would still be using two Dixie cups and a string to talk to each other.
wonder what kind of skeletons will he bring out of the closet in years down road I hope he is a hippie pope rainbow outfits and pass out skittles to hater’s saying taste rainbow bitches hope he has many out fit changes as cher or lady gaga.
Let’s hope he’s less of a jerk than Benedict was.
Another Gay Hating, Fetal Obsessed, Pedophile Protecting Misogynist no doubt!!
**** you Pope!
He doesn’t seem to be to terrible, he spoke out against gay marriage, but he washed the feet of aids victims, and has talked about the importance of respecting gay people
That’s really mature ^^^
It is actually.. I thought this was the internet where I have every right to express my views?
Expressing one’s views as a mature person on Facebook doesn’t require one to use the filthy language of backwoods uneducated trash.
The RCC is anti-gay and a lot of its practices in and out of church services are not even supported by the original church which began in Jerusalem in 30 AD. Paul was the 1st Apostle to hold church services in Rome. Nothing in the official New Testament, even the RCC one, about Peter ever going to Rome.
Well, he’s not a Nazi, but comes from a country in which a lot of Nazis went into hiding. But, then, we have some in this country, too.
Another homophobe …yay! :(
Give him a chance to evolve a bit.