Metlink estimated 84,000 people took the train and 80,000 took the bus, making Tuesday the busiest day on record.

Thomas Nash, the Greater Wellington Regional Council's transport committee chairperson, was not surprised. Read more

The proposal, announced today by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, would essentially give victims of sexual offending more say in what happens in court when it comes to name suppression.

It also protects a wider number of victims by extending who is entitled to automatic suppression. Read more

Before Mass, Pope Francis toured St. Peter's Square unprotected in a simple open white jeep, stopping frequently to greet those in the sprawling square, kissing babies and getting out at one point to bless a disabled person.

The Mass, on the Feast of St Joseph, the protector and universal patron of the Church, was a simple yet ornate ceremony lasting only two hours.

During his homily, Francis called for the protection of the weakest in society and of the environment saying that the Church's mission was to defend the poor and disadvantaged.

The Church's mission "means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about", he said.

Francis made it clear that being a "protector", however, is not just something involving Christians as it has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone.

Addressing the world, Pope Francis called on all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill, to be protectors of creation.

The pope said being a protector "means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness."

"Only those who serve with love are able to protect," he said

As he began his ministry as universal shepherd, Pope Francis reminded us of the need to bring hope to others and that authentic power is service, inspired by the lowly, the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.

Pope Francis wore simple plain white vestments, trimmed with gold and brown, along with his now customary black shoes.

Before the Mass, Francis collected his newly minted gold ring and pallium, a liturgical woolen band worn around the neck, that had been placed overnight on the tomb of St Peter under the basilica's altar.

Pope Francis' installation Mass, formally installs Francis as the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

Sources

• The Guardian
• Reuters
• The Washington Times
• Image: Rome Reports

Global news cycles unfold at different times, and sometimes I found myself finishing my day at 2am or more often starting at 4am. I'm not sure what my colleagues thought.

Some correspondents questioned the value of the exercise, some thought the papacy had perhaps become irreverent and didn't speak them as it once used to. They found the email trash can a simple solution.

Others were luke-warm, but even welcomed the initiative.

If website statistics say anything, looking back over the last 6 weeks I'm somewhat stunned by the interest and I apologise to all those who tried to get to CathNews on the day of Pope Francis' election and couldn't. We were just swamped.

Over the six weeks, as well as its normal service, CathNews has reported on a wide range of papal topics. We don't yet know the answer to a lot of these questions, but we are abreast of them. Some of the topics include:

• The shock of Pope Benedict's unprecedented resignation
• Why did Benedict resign?
• Will Benedict's resignation destabilise the Church long-term?
• How might Benedict influence a new pope?
• What were the cardinals talking about all week?
• What role is the Vatileaks scandal having in the cardinals' discussion?
• Who will likely be pope?

'Wow what a ride.'

However the ultimate 'wow' was the election of Cardinal Bergoglio, Pope Francis.

In Pope Benedict's final speech, he as it were seemed to speak personally as universal pastor to us, and reflecting on his eight years as pontiff noted that "sometimes God seemed to be sleeping."

I found Benedict's comment quite helpful, it is something from time to time, I also felt.

I often wondered, 'where is God in all this?'

Feeling thirsty, I wondered just how much longer do we seem to walk in the desert?

While God may seem to have been sleeping for some of this period, hopefully he was wide awake when the Cardinals elected Pope Francis.

And if he wasn't then, I'm sure he is now!

This avuncular Argentine; a spring breeze.

Some years back Joan Osborne asked the question "If God was one of us..."

Putting that question aside, I get the distinct feeling however Francis is one of us.

For example, there were no 'good mornings' when meeting Trish, a cleaner, the other morning. With a sparkle in her eye and broad smile, she immediately volunteered "Isn't he great."

It was clear who she was talking about.

People of other faiths too are claiming Francis. At a wedding on Saturday, a fellow priest told me Anglican and Presbyterian guests referred to Pope Francis saying "we'll have him too".

Also "my rabbi" is what an Argentinian rabbi called Pope Francis.

It is easy to see, even from afar, how "Papa Francesco" is already being loved by the Italians, as clearly he was after Sunday Mass when he unnerved security staff, and went on an unscheduled meet and greet the crowd.

The new Bishop of Rome already a man of the people, but intelligent man who knows of God's love, talks of God's love who also knows people understand God's love when they experience it.

He's one of us.

At this point there have been no announcements, but significant change is surely 'a given'.

Small changes are already evident. Almost over night the stiff rigidity has gone. Simple vestments, simple joining of hands when celebrating Mass are papal permissibles.

Hopefully soon we can farewell the 'frilly lace' as being almost 'of the faith'.

Vatican workers too have reportedly caught on quick to Francis' message of simplicity as they put aside their use of Vatican cars and are reportedly using common taxis to get around Rome.

Small externals I know.

The big changes are of course to come and while all Curia heads have provisionally been reappointed, one gets the feeling Pope Francis wants to make significant change.

Yesterday I read with interest a CathNews story, where Cardinal Bergoglio, who thinking he had no chance of being pope, spoke fairly freely with an Argentinian reporter.

In the story, Bergoglio told the reporter that if he were pope he would 'eradicate the corruption from the gilded palaces of the Vatican' and that 'everyone knows who the corrupt cardinals are'.

In this instance, time will tell more than one story.

Early days for an already universally popular pontiff, and here's hoping there's no substance for another David Yallop thriller.

It's been a pleasure helping to unfold the beginning of the Pope Francis' story, and it's now time for it to be integrated with our regular news coverage.

- John Murphy is a Marist priest working in digital media at the Marist Internet Ministry, New Zealand.

Confessing to being a little selfish she admitted to praying during the 2005 conclave that he not to be elected, she told CNN, Monday.

Last week, soon after the white smoke billowed out from the Sistine Chapel chimney, she heard her brother's voice crackling through the telephone line.

"I almost died," she said.

"The telephone rang and my son answered. I heard him say, 'ooooh, God.'"

She said Jorge told her not to worry and reassured her all was well.

"I told him I wanted to hug him," she said.

Then, the pope told her to pass along his warm greetings to the rest of the family.

"He said, 'I cannot call everyone. We are a very big family, so please send them my love. Because if I call everyone, it will empty the Vatican coffers,' " Bergoglio said.

"I think that's why he became pope ... if he had to be firm in something, he was," she said. "But he was always like that, with a sense of humor."

Sources

• CNN
• Image: ABC

At 10pm the streets were blocked and cafes and restaurants were closed, leaving just security personnel, who shared food and coffee with a handful of pilgrims sitting on the cobblestones.

Early in the morning, and not to be outdone, a larger crowd of about a hundred nuns from all over the world, formed at the first barrier. Later thousands moved up behind them.

When the gates finally opened, all were told to "be calm" by security as the crowd rushed through the metal detectors into an empty St Peter's Square.

The Mass was preceded by another warm interaction between the newly elected Argentinian pope, who blessed pilgrims while on the pope mobile.

The two hour Mass went as planned in the mid-morning sun, with the Pope Francis again stressing the need to protect the poor and also care for the environment .

Informally, many are already beginning to comment on the sharp contrasting styles between Francis and his predecessor Benedict, an intellectual heavyweight, who sometimes lacked the softer skills.

Soon after Communion, the pilgrims waved goodbye, shouting out "Viva Papa", many staying in the square to wave their respected flags, pray and even dance.

- Chris Hooton is a New Zealander travelling in Europe. He recalls his experience being at Pope Francis inauguration.

"If the pope says, 'I want to go greet these people', the pope goes ahead, and the security people go along," said Lombardi

"This is something brand new."

"You have to respect the pope's personal style," Lombardi said.

"The security officials are aware that it is not they who are running the show but the pope, and they have to adjust to that."

"Security detail in fibrillation, faithful delirious" is how the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano described the scene as finding himself near a Vatican exit and hearing people chanting his name outside, Pope Francis responded with an impromptu walkabout that looks set to become a frequent occurrence.

"Everyone remembers how many times John Paul II broke the rules in order to meet people directly, even in situations that could be risky or unpredictable," Lombardi said.

"That was his style. He wanted to do that and had to be able to do that. Those in charge of security did the best they could."

Lombardi acknowledged that security personnel naturally like to err on the side of caution when they can, but Lombardi is adamant that security officials are at the service of the pope and they will need to adapt to Pope Franics' style.

Responsibility for papal security is shared by about 100 Swiss Guards — the traditional papal security coterie — plus about 100 Vatican police and another 140 Italian police who maintain a round-the-clock patrol at the edges of the tiny city state.

On Tuesday for Francis's inaugural mass, at least 3,000 security personnel will be deployed including sharpshooters.

Sources

• Inquirer News
• Image: Reuters

Several prominent rights groups in Argentina say the archbishop went out of his way in recent years to stand with secular organizations against crimes such as sex trafficking and child prostitution.

The rights groups say that Bergoglio's resolve strengthened as new cases of molestation emerged in the archdiocese and that he eventually instructed bishops to immediately report all abuse allegations to police.

But The Post says during most of the 14 years that Bergoglio served as archbishop of Buenos Aires, rights advocates say, he did not take decisive action to protect children or act swiftly when molestation charges surfaced; nor did he extend apologies to the victims of abusive priests after their misconduct came to light.

"He has been totally silent," said Ernesto Moreau, a member of Argentina's U.N.-affiliated Permanent Assembly for Human Rights and a lawyer who has represented victims in a clergy sexual-abuse case.

Victims asked to meet with Bergoglio but were turned down, Moreau said. "In that regard, Bergoglio was no different from most of the other bishops in Argentina, or the Vatican itself."

In September, after an Argentine priest from a rural area was convicted of abusing dozens of boys between 1984 and 1992, the archbishop's office released a statement saying the case had "reaffirmed our profound shame and the immense pain that result from the grave mistakes committed by someone who should be setting the moral example."

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that "Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife" (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: "Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ's upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ's Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model" (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and receptive to God's plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a "protector" because he is able to hear God's voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God's call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

The vocation of being a "protector", however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God's gifts!

Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are "Herods" who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be "protectors" of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be "protectors", we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, "hoping against hope, believed" (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!

I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.

Sources:

• Vatican Radio
• Image: News Day

Aljazera reports claims suggesting that Bergoglio was friendly with the military dictatorship seem less credible because Bergoglio was a young priest at the time of the Dirty War.

Media have released a photo, supposedly of Bergoglio giving Holy Communion to General Jorge Rafael Videla, but Aljazeera points out, they omit to mention the man giving the general Communion cannot be identified and is clearly too old to be Bergoglio.

While Aljazeera has other pictures suggesting the church hierarchy was likely complicit with the military dictatorship, at the time of the Dirty War, Bergoglio was in his 40's, leader of the Jesuits in Argentina, and not a bishop.

Buenos Aires reporter Lucia Newman said opinion in Argentina is unclear whether Bergoglio did or did not do sufficient to reduce human rights abuses, but all acknowledge he was not a bishop at the time.

Newman says the current priority in Argentina is not the past, but on social justice, and fixing the current problems the Catholic Church is facing.

She says Bergoglio gets high marks as a bishop in Argentina.

Newman says before leaving for the Conclave Bergoglio gave an interview to a leading Argentinian journalist, Joaquin Morales Solia.

Bergoglio told the reporter he did not have a chance in being elected pope, that he was too old.

With this background, Bergoglio told the journalist what he would have done had he become elected.

One of the things he spoke about was the need to eradicate the corruption from the gilded palaces of the Vatican.

"Everyone knows who the corrupt cardinals are," he was quoted as saying.

He also said that the Vatican Bank needed to be cleaned up and made immediately transparent.

Sources

• Aljazera
• Image: Global Post

Belonging to a visually impaired radio journalist, Asia entered the Vatican's vast Paul VI audience hall on Saturday and quietly sat down close to his owner as the pontiff thanked thousands of journalists from all over the world. They all came to Rome to cover the conclave that led to his election as the first Jesuit, first non-European, first Latin American pontiff.

"As I waited in line to enter the hall, the security guards told me that most likely I wouldn't be allowed to get in with the dog," Alessandro Forlani, who works for Italian RAI radio, wrote on his Facebook page.

"But after a few minutes, Vatican officials gave me the green light and I was accompanied by a Swiss guard to the audience hall. They let me sat near the first row of seats," Forlani said.

At the end of the pope's magnetic speech, a selected group of media notables and Vatican-linked communicators, was presented to the pontiff.

While the journalists lined up to be greeted by Pope Francis - some performing the "baciamano," the traditional kissing the pope's ring, others embracing him in bear hugs - Vatican officials approached Forlani.

"They said that Pope Francis had asked to meet me. He had seen Asia and wanted to see both of us," Forlani said.

Asia walked on the stage, briefly sniffed the Pope's white dress and black shoes and then waited patiently as Forlani talked to the pontiff. Continue reading

"I think it all came together in an extraordinary fashion," Chicago Cardinal Francis George told the Chicago Tribune.

George said Bergoglio's name had not surfaced as an option in the week of closed-door discussions among the cardinals before the conclave, and Bergoglio had also dropped off the radar of most journalists. He was 76, and many cardinals said they would not vote for someone older than 70. Bergoglio was also reportedly the runner-up to Benedict in the conclave of 2005 and unlikely to return as a candidate.

"I wouldn't have expected it to happen either this fast or even the way it developed in terms of the choices available to us," George said. "I believe the Holy Spirit makes clear which way we should go. And we went that way very quickly."

The Holy Spirit, yes, but other forces also contributed to the unexpected result. And despite the cone of silence that is supposed to remain over all proceedings inside the conclave, leaks in the Italian press and interviews with various cardinal electors have begun to give a clearer picture of how this 28-hour conclave unfolded.

What happened, in short, is that during the first "shake out" ballot Tuesday evening, Bergoglio's name drew a surprising number of votes, suddenly putting him out there as a potential candidate.

"Cardinal Bergoglio wouldn't have become pope in the fifth ballot if he had not been a really strong contender for the papacy from the beginning," Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn told reporters.

Until then, the field had been considered fairly open, with two main camps each looking for a champion: There were those who wanted a pope who would reform the Roman Curia, the papal bureaucracy — and preferably someone from outside Europe to represent the church's demographic shift to the Southern Hemisphere. Then there were the electors who wanted to defend the Curia, and they were joined by some who also hoped to keep the papacy in Europe, or even return it to an Italian.

The "reform" camp had no clear champion but a dozen or more possibilities. They reportedly wanted someone from outside Europe, in particular a Latin American, but weren't sure who.

The Roman camp, on the other hand, had apparently begun to lean toward Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, who was born of German immigrant parents and had long experience in the Curia. That made him a plausible Southern Hemisphere candidate, but one with strong European and curial ties.

In the days leading up to the conclave, however, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan had increasingly emerged as an apparent front-runner because he was seen as an Italian who could fix the Vatican, a combination some said could attract votes from both camps.

Throughout this wrangling, Bergoglio had maintained a low profile, which was in keeping with his reputation for humility and holiness, and several electors said they found that refreshing. Continue reading

The Angelus message traditionally focuses on international issues, however Francis used the occasion to focus attention on the need for mercy.

"A bit of mercy can make the world less cold and fairer," he told the energetic crowd.

"Don't forget this: the Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking forgiveness," he said, to applause from the crowd.

He gave a nice shout-out to German Cardinal Walter Kasper, "a very capable theologian," and said he'd been reading a book Kasper wrote about mercy and how "it changes everything" for the person who experiences it.

The pope joked, "Don't think I do publicity for books of my cardinals!"

He ended his message by hoping everyone had a good lunch!

Earlier in the day around 1,000 people thronged a narrow passageway outside the Church of Saint Anna, his local parish church just inside the Vatican gates, as he arrived for mass.

In dramatic contrast with the reserved style of his predecessors, he walked along a hastily constructed barrier reaching deep into the crowd, shaking hands, laughing and joking.

It is the first time he has had a chance to meet members of the public up close since being elected on Wednesday.

There were chants of "Francesco, Francesco" as he turned and walked through the iron gates out onto the main street, where most of the crowd were waiting, leaving his anxious security men rushing to keep up.

When two clerics were brought up and introduced to him, attempting to drop to their knees, he hurriedly ushered them back onto their feet.

"He touched me, he touched me!" said one French woman holding her hand aloft.

"We just came for the weekend we never expected to meet the Pope."

In his homily, during which he appeared to ad-lib, he told the congregation that, "We too, I think, are this people who, on one hand want to listen to Jesus, but on the other, sometimes we like to beat up on others, condemn the others."

"The message of Jesus is mercy. For me, and I say this with humility, mercy is the strongest message of the Lord," he said.

Sources

• Sky News
• The Telegraph

The traditional blog, claims to have friends all around the world, including Argentina, where Marcelo Gonzalez of Panorama Catolico International, claims to give local in sight into the local archbishop.

Republishing Gonzalez piece in English, Rorate Caeli says Bergoglio is "a known enemy of the traditional Mass" only "allowing imitation of it in the hands of declared enemies of the ancient liturgy".

It claims that as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio "persecuted every single priest who made an effort to wear a cassock, and preach with firmness."

Bergoglio is "famous for his inconsistency and for the intelligibility of his addresses and homilies", says the publication.

Calling Bergoglio loose in doctrine and liturgy, Rorate Caeli says he has "not missed any occasion for holding acts in which he lent his Cathedral to Protestants, Muslims, Jews and even to partisan groups in the name of an impossible and unnecessary inter-religous dialogue."

Rorate Caeli claims Bergoglio has been blessed by Protestant ministers in common acts of worship and has not fought against abortion and only weakly against homosexual marriage.

It concludes, "It really cannot be what Benedict wanted for the Church."

Sources

• Rorate Caeli
• Panorama Catolico
• Image Merco Express

As he appeared for the first time, Francis' choice of a simple white cassock made a very clear and immediate statement.

BBC reports that soon after the election result was declared in the Sistine Chapel, the Master of Ceremonies offered the new Pope red papal cape trimmed with ermine.

"No thank you, Monsignore, ... Carnival time is over!" BBC reports Pope Francis as saying.

Later, at Mass with the Cardinals, Francis again broke with the recent practice of using an ornate vestment, rather choosing a more simple style.

Simplicity was also on his mind when he broke the seals of the Papal Apartment in the Apostolic Palace. Entering the apartment Francis seemed overwhelmed, momentarily motionless, "There's room for 300 people here," he's reported to have remarked. "I don't need all this space."

Stories continue to circulatie in the media of Francis' simplicity, his continued use of his old black shoes, making personal telephone calls of thanks to the Jesuit Superior General and to friends of his in Rome, and quietly visiting a sick cardinal in hospital.

While many of the faithful are already marveling at their new leader's refreshing simplicity, his sense of all-embracing equality and distaste for outward show, they can sit uneasily within an institution responsible for supporting and guarding its global leader, and Francis is already discovering that his power, and his insistence on humble practice, has limits.

While, Thursday, riding in a modest Vatican car with a small security detail to pray in the downtown St Mary Major basilica, Francis asked for the basilica to be kept open, allowing others to also use the church, however it was not to be.

"The gendarmes of the Vatican said no," said an employee at the church who declined to give his name.

"The pope wanted it open, but the wish of the pope was not obeyed."

"(The) only people not charmed by Francis so fare: Vatican security personnel scrambling to keep up with him as he presses the flesh," reports John Allen on Twitter.

In his farewell speech, Pope Benedict, in an apparent message to his successor, said that whoever succeeds him "no longer has any privacy. He belongs forever and totally to everyone, to all the church."

Sources

• BBC
• LA Times
• CathNews
• John Allen (Twitter)

Questions linger about Bergoglio's actions during the nation's dark days: the so-called Dirty War, when Argentina was ruled by dictators.

Possibly the darkest period during Bergoglio's rise to power took place when he served as the nation's top Jesuit.

In 1976, during Argentina's dictatorship, the navy kidnapped priests Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics. Some have accused Bergoglio, then provincial superior for the Society of Jesus, of not doing enough to assert his influence and free them. They were found five months later.

The incident led to rumors and allegations that Bergoglio was complicit in the dictatorship's appalling atrocity — that he didn't do enough to expose it and perhaps was even partly responsible for the priests' prolonged detention, said Jim Nicholson, a former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Although the allegations against Bergoglio have never been proved, they continue to haunt him, so much so that the human rights group Center for Legal and Social Studies in Argentina opposes Bergoglio's selection as pope.

Situations relating to the priests' kidnappings "have not been clarified," said the group's director, Gaston Chillier.

Many of the allegations against Bergoglio were researched by Argentine journalist Horacio Verbitsky, (an investigative journalist with a past history as a leftist guerrilla,) who wrote a book about the church's role during the dictatorship.

In a 2010 column, Verbitsky alleged that Bergoglio had lied under oath during an investigation into the theft of babies from prisoners during the dictatorship.

Bergoglio testified that he never knew about the baby-stealing until after the dictatorship had fallen, Verbitsky wrote, but a victim Verbitsky interviewed claims that Bergoglio knew about it at the time. She said she had written to Francis about it.

Nicholson said there is no evidence to support the allegations. Continue reading

Image: The Telegraph

Margaret Hebblethwaite has been watching Cardinal Bergoglio for the last 10 years, she has heard two differing and conflicting opinions expressed about him. Humble and authoritarian. One is progressive and open, the other is very conservative.

While not someone who talks to the media, Bergoglio spoke twice with Hebblethwaite.

Hebblethwaite says it is clear the two Jesuits felt betrayed by Bergoglio because instead of endorsing their work and protecting them, he demanded they leave the barrio. And when they refused, they had to leave the Jesuit order.

When they later "disappeared" and tortured, it seemed to many that Bergoglio had been siding with the repression, Hebblethwaite wrote in the Guardian.

"It was the kind of complex situation that is capable of multiple interpretations, but it is far more likely Bergoglio was trying to save their lives," wrote Hebblethwaite.

Nobel Prize peace winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel said that Bergoglio had no links with the dictatorship. "There were bishops who were accomplices of the dictatorship, but it was not the case of Bergoglio."

"Bergoglio was questioned because it is said he did not do enough to get out of jail two priests, as he was the Superior of the Jesuits. But I know personally that many bishops called on the military junta for the release of prisoners and priests and these requests were not granted", said Perez Esquivel.

Fr Orland Yorio has since died, however Franz Jalics SJ, also known in Argentina as Francisco Jalics, now lives and works in Germany.

The Jesuits in Germany posted a statement from Father Jalics about the events surrounding his kidnapping online on Friday.

Starting in 1957 I lived in Buenos Aires. In the year 1974, moved by an inner wish to live the gospel and to draw attention to the terrible poverty, and with the permission of Archbishop Aramburu and the then-Provincial Fr. Jorge Mario Bergoglio I moved together with a confrere into a "Favela," one of the city's slums. From there we continued our teaching at the university.

In the civil-war-like situation back then, the military junta killed roughly 30,000 people within one to two years, leftist guerrillas as well as innocent civilians. The two of us in the slum had contact neither with the junta nor with the guerrillas. Partly due to the lack of information and through targeted misinformation our situation was also misunderstood within the church. At this time we lost our connection to one of our lay coworkers who had joined the guerrillas. After he was taken prisoner nine months later by the soldiers of the junta and questioned, they learned that he had been connected with us. Under the assumption that we also had something to do with the guerrillas we were arrested. After five days of interrogation the officer who led the questioning dismissed us with the words, "Fathers, you were not guilty. I will ensure that you can return to the poor district." In spite of this pledge, we were then inexplicably held in custody, blindfolded and bound, for five months. I cannot comment on the role of Fr. Bergoglio in these events.

After we were freed I left Argentina. Only years later did we have the chance to discuss what had happened with Fr. Bergoglio, who in the meantime had been named archbishop of Buenos Aires. Afterwards we together celebrated a public mass and solemnly embraced. I am reconciled to the events and view them from my side as concluded.

I wish Pope Francis God's rich blessing for his office.

Sources

• Jesuits Germany
• The Guardian
• Buenos Aires Herald

In an unprecedented event, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, will also attend Pope Francis' installation Mass in Rome March 19.

The appearance by the Ecumenical Patriarch, the "first among equals" of all the world's Orthodox leaders, is an unprecedented gesture.

The Patriarch of Constantinople has not attended a papal installation since 1054, when Constantinople split from Rome.

Justin Welby, the new leader of the world's Anglicans, said he was looking forward to "working together" with the new pope.

As a cardinal in Argentina, Jorge Bergoglio had warm ties with rabbis. One referred to the new pope as "my rabbi."

Early in Pope Benedict's papacy, he sparked anger across the Muslim world when he cited a 14th century Byzantine emperor who said the Prophet Muhammad had brought things that were "evil and inhuman."

Omar Shahin, the secretary general of the North American Imams Federation, said, "It was a very bad start, and, because of this speech, people stopped all interfaith dialogue."

Benedict later apologized saying the emperor's views weren't his own.

Benedict also angered Jews when he revoked the ex-communication of ultra-conservative St Pius XI Bishop Williamson who denied the Holocaust.

Sources

• Catholic World Report
• Voice of America
• Global Post
• Image Called to Communion

There had been speculation that the new pope could make swift changes to the Curia, the Vatican bureaucracy that has been at the center of allegations of corruption, infighting and intrigue.

"The Holy Father, wants in fact, to give himself a certain amount of time for reflection, prayer and dialogue before any (new) appointments or definitive confirmations," a statement said.

It added that top job holders would "provisionally stay in their respective posts until it is decided otherwise".

Both Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II before him rolled over the heads of departments appointments and kept people in these positions until their term expired.

"We'll see in his appointments how serious he is about tackling this stuff," John Thavis, a keen church observer and author of the book, "The Vatican Diaries," said. "If the secretary of state is one of these same old guys, the curial cardinals are going to feel reassured."

Sources:

• Reuters
• John Thavis

"We are going to have to get used to a new way of doing things," said Father Tom Rosica, a Vatican Spokesman said.

On the morning after his election, the Vatican was scrambling to meet the needs of a new-style papacy.

Speaking to CNS about his experience in the Conclave, New York Cardinal, Timothy Dolan said after Pope Francis was elected and put on his papal vestments, Pope Francis did not choose to sit on a special white chair that had been set up for him on an elevated platform. Instead "he looked at and said 'I'll stay down here,' so he met with each us on our own level," Cardinal Dolan said.

Dolan also said the pope's habit of taking the bus apparently was not easy to break.

After Pope Francis greeted the crowds in the square, he and the cardinals left the apostolic palace to return to their lodgings at Domus Sanctae Marthae. But, instead of getting in the papal car that was waiting for him, the pope took one of the mini-buses with the rest of the cardinals.

"I guess he told the driver, 'That's ok I'll just go with the guys on the bus,'" Cardinal Dolan said.

Francis' simplicity and sense of humor were apparent when the pope asked the cardinals to join him in a meal together.

"We toasted him and then he toasted us and he said, 'May God forgive you'" for having elected him pope, which "brought the house down" with laughter, said Dolan.

The only difference between him and the cardinals was that he was no longer wearing their red robes, but white, he said.

There was more unexpected papal behaviour on the morning after his election when Francis asked a driver to take him to the clerics' hotel, the Domus Internationalis Paulus VI, where he had stayed during the run-up to this week's secret electoral conclave.

"He wanted to get his luggage and the bags. He had left everything there," a Vatican spokesman told a news briefing.

"He then stopped in the office, greeted everyone and decided to pay the bill for the room ... because he was concerned about giving a good example of what priests and bishops should do."

The break from recent tradition was was also evident in Francis' wardrobe choices.

When presented to the 100,000 strong crowd in St Peter's Square, he was wearing the simple pectoral cross of his days as bishop and did not use the red cape, choosing instead the simple white cassock of the papacy.

"It seems to me for now what is certain is it's a great change of style, which for us isn't a small thing," Bergoglio's official biographer Sergio Rubin said.

Recalling how the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio would celebrate Masses with ex-prostitutes in Buenos Aires.

"He believes the church has to go to the streets," he said, "to express this closeness of the church and this accompaniment with the people who suffer."

Francis however, also began his first day as pope making an early morning visit in a simple Vatican car to a Roman basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary and prayed before an icon of the Madonna.

Just after his election, he had told a packed in, rain-soaked crowd in St Peter's Square that he intended to pray to the Mary "that she may watch over all of Rome."

Perhaps his first day as pope can be summarised by Joseph Kelly on Twitter. "Pope Francis started his day by praying to Our Blessed Lady, then paid his bills. I can relate to that."

Sources

• Reuters
• Associated Press
• CNS
• Joseph Kelly (Twitter)