On March 13, 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected 266th pope of the Catholic Church. When the white smoke billowed from the small copper chimney atop the Sistine Chapel letting the world know that a new pope had been elected, the city of Rome descended and filled St. Peter’s Square as it rained. When Cardinal Protodeacon Jean-Louis Tauran announced the name of the new pope, the cheering turned to a curious silence as the people asked each other, “Who?” Seconds later the cheering erupted with shouts of “We have a pope!” The deafening roar of joy-filled cheering continued long into the evening at St. Peter’s Square as the hundreds of thousands celebrated Pope Francis’ election.
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Photographs by Jeffrey Bruno for Aleteia
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And today we celebrate...
