Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is elected to the Chair of Peter and becomes our 266th Pope and takes the name of Pope Francis. Keeping with the humility that characterized his life as cardinal, before he would give his first blessing as Pope Francis, he asked the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square to first pray for him asking the Father to bless him. He then asked for silence and humbly bowed during this prayer of the faithful on his behalf. “Now I would like to impart the blessing, but first, first I ask a favor of you. Before the bishop blesses the people, I ask that you pray to the Lord that He bless me: the prayer of the people asking a blessing for their bishop. Let us pray in silence, this your prayer for me.” Then he said: “Now I will impart the blessing to you and all the world.” Pope Francis then requested to visit the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome to pray in front of a famous icon of the Virgin Mary, dedicating his Papacy to Our Lady.
