Church Chooses a New Pope
***UPDATE WEDNESDAY 2:21 P.M.***VATICAN CITY (AP) – 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.The 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and shoe-leather priests.***UPDATE WEDNESDAY 1:09 P.M.***VATICAN CITY (AP) – The Catholic church has chosen a new pope.White smoke is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning 115 cardinals in a papal conclave have elected a new leader for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.The conclave was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned last month, throwing the church into turmoil and exposing deep divisions among cardinals tasked with finding a manager to clean up a corrupt Vatican bureaucracy as well as a pastor who can revive Catholicism in a time of growing secularism.***UPDATE WEDNESDAY 5:49 A.M.***VATICAN CITY (AP) – Black smoke is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning Roman Catholic cardinals have not elected a pope in their second or third rounds of balloting.***ORIGINAL STORY***As of Tuesday night, there was no new pope – no white smoke from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel.The Jefferson City Archdiocese represents 90,000 people across 38 counties.Monsignor Gregory Higley is the second-in-command at the archdiocese. He told ABC 17 News Tuesday the decision is important for both Catholics and non-Catholics around the world.”This is not a party, it is a very serious matter,” Higley said. The life of the church is on that man that is chosen.”The new pope will need two-thirds of the vote, or 77 votes.
