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New Pope, Jorge Bergoglio, is Argentinian

Categories: Latin America, Argentina, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Religion

Argentinian Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio [1] is the new Pope of the Catholic Church. Starting today, March 13, 2013, Bergoglio will be known around the world as Pope Francis.

Netizens were quick to react to the announcement that for the first time an Argentinian, and a Latin American, will be leading the Catholic Church.

From Buenos Aires, Rodrigo Hernán Torres (@RodrigoH_Torre [2]) [es] wrote:

@RodrigoH_Torre [3]:#Bergoglio [4] es nuestro nuevo Papa FELICITACIONES! Y todo el exito en este nuevo desafio y camino que comienza, es un momento historico

@RodrigoH_Torre [3]:#Bergoglio [4] is our Pope, CONGRATULATIONS! And I wish him all the best in this new challenge and path which is just starting, during a historic time.

Jorge Bergoglio, image from Wikimedia Commons [5]

Jorge Bergoglio, image from Wikimedia Commons

Several users have been relating the news to football, like Aaron Zamost (@zamosta [6]) who referred to Diego Armando Maradona's “hand of God”:

@zamosta [7]; Pope Francis is only the second most famous Argentinian to know the hand of God. http://bit.ly/KpI47u [8]

Even US-based TV presenter Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan [9]) had something to say about Argentinian football:

@piersmorgan [10]: Argentina now has the No1 Catholic, and No1 footballer, on the planet. #Bergoglio [4] #Messi [11]

On a more serious note, Caren Kalafatich (@CarenKalafatich [12]) [es] tweeted:

@CarenKalafatich [13]: Somos argentinos, y es nuestra esencia: Festejamos un “Papa” pq es “argentino” y no hablamos de #Bergoglio [4] como hombre y su conservadurismo

@CarenKalafatich [13]: We are from Argentina, and this is our essence: We celebrate a “Pope” because he is “Argentinian” and we don't talk about #Bergoglio [4] as a man and his conservatism.

Several users are questioning the new Pope's alleged involvement [14] in Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship, like Guillermo Prein (@GuillermoPrein [15]) [es]:

@GuillermoPrein [16]: El Cadernal #Bergoglio [4] elegido Papa a pesar de su no explicada participación en ella última dictadura y del cerco a pederastas como Grassi

@GuillermoPrein [16]: Cadinal #Bergoglio [4] elected Pope in spite of his unexplained participation in the last dictatorship and the “fence” around pedophiles like Grassi [17]

We will bring you more coverage of citizens’ reactions and analysis from Argentina and Latin America. Stay tuned.