Argentina's Bergoglio elected as new Pope

Argentina's Bergoglio elected as new Pope

Pope Francis

Cardinals from the around the world finally elected the new leader for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, as white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney around 2 a.m. Thursday (Philippine time). Church bells at the St. Peter's Basilica rang to welcome the good news.

The 76-year-old moderate emerged smiling on to the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to cries of "Long live the pope!" as tens of thousands of pilgrims cheered, cried and applauded.

The first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years of Church history, Francis called for "brotherhood" among the world's 1.2 billion Catholics and prayed the Hail Mary together with the crowd in St Peter's Square.