My Latin American friends are jumping up and down with joy; the new Pope is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina. Although he is a Jesuit, he chose the name Francis - a first among Papal names. There were a lot of unusual factors in this Papal election: Pope Benedict stepping down, the quartering of the Cardinal-Electors in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, and the surprise third vote today.
The comment from my Latin American friends was how "kind and friendly" he seemed. In his initial speech from the balcony, he joked that they "had to go to the end of the earth to find the Bishop of Rome."
Another unprecedented factor was the impact of the social media in this Papal election. Everyone was sharing news and information on various media outlets - Twitter, Facebook, etc. The need for secrecy in the election process required special security measures. Even prior to the start of the Conclave during the Congregations and other meetings, besides removing all cell phones, tablets and other communications devices, they also jammed all radio frequencies inside the borders of the Vatican City State. Journalists working near the Vatican remarked about being unable to use their cell phones.
Before the start of the Conclave, a nun who worked in the Vatican remarked that the media isolation of the Conclave might hurry along the election process. She noticed that many Cardinals seemed a little addicted to social media. Confine them on bread and water, if you must, but don't take away their iPad!
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