We have a Pope. He was not among the most popular candidates. The "Vaticanists" have once again been surprised by the Holy Spirit. Thousands of people at the place of St. Peter's. Millions of spectators all over the world. All attentive to the words of the Cardinal Protodeacon: Georgium Marium... Who? A name that hardly anyone knows. General bewilderment. Cardinal Bergoglio. Italian? No, Argentinian. Archbishop of Buenos Aires. The first American Pope. The first Jesuit Pope. The first Pope to adopt the name Francis. He is undoubtedly the candidate of the Holy Spirit, the Pope that God wants for these times. 

He finally looks out onto the balcony where all eyes are on him. A serene, calm and smiling face. Buona sera! He asks everyone to pray for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. A wonderful gesture! We all pray for the first time with the new Pontiff. And before giving the Urbi et Orbi Blessing he asks us to pray for him. He bows and we all silently ask the Lord to help and enlighten his Vicar on Earth so that he may govern Peter's boat well. Then, kneeling, we receive his blessing. He announces that tomorrow he will go to pray to Our Lady. He bids us farewell, wishing us a good rest.

Some data to keep in mind. The new Pope was born in Buenos Aires in 1936. He was ordained a priest in 1957 and appointed Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. Created a cardinal by John Paul II in 2001, he knows the Holy See well: he was a member of the Commission for Latin America, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the discipline of the Sacraments, the Congregation for the Clergy, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Pontifical committee for the Family.

The titles of his last two works are very suggestive: True Power is Service (2007) and Open Mind, Believing Heart (2012).

The polemicists will dig into his actions during the dictatorship and his disagreements with Argentina's president. But once again they will be looking in the wrong place. Pope Francis is a man of God who in his first words mentioned fraternity, the need to walk with everyone for the evangelisation to which the Church is called, especially in the new millennium.

The new Pontiff's challenge is the evangelisation of the world, the spiritual vitality of the Church, call to men of good will - who are perplexed by the spectacle of a civilisation without moral resources - to a spiritual rearmament of Humanity.

And this is done from the humility of Saint Francis, a radical withdrawal in the hands of God on behalf of his fellow men. And from the evangelising impulse of Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, who threw themselves into the renewal of the Church and the spread of the Gospel throughout the world.

Gestures are important: God becomes flesh to reveal himself to mankind. The gestures of the new Pope this afternoon are very eloquent: unity with his predecessor, for whom he prayed with the whole Church; closeness to his Diocese of Rome, which is at the head of the universal Church in charity; a request for prayers to the Romans for their Bishop, which we have all joined; the Pope's blessing to the Romans who filled St Peter's place , to all Catholics and to all people of good will; and reference letter filial to the Madonna.

The world once again has someone to look after it.