POPE: White Smoke Appears and its Pope Francis from Argentina

Politicians on Wednesday cheered the announcement of a new Pope: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who served as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, took the papal name of “Francis I” and is the first non-European pontiff in hundreds of years, according to news accounts.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is praying for the new pope’s success, he said in a statement.
“The Catholic Church is the largest charitable, healthcare and educational institution in the world, and the spiritual home to 1.2 billion Catholics around the globe,” Toomey said. “The new Holy Father Francis I has an immense task ahead of him and I pray that God will uphold him with strength, wisdom and courage to take on the challenges and beauty of his new role.”

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) praised the legacy of the previous pontiff and said he celebrated the new pope with Catholics from near and far.

“Pope Benedict XVI inspired us with his unwavering commitment to faith during, as he put it, ‘today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith,’” he said in a statement. “The election of Pope Francis I is a jubilant occasion for millions of Catholics in Ohio and around the world, and I join them in welcoming this new faith leader.”

(PHOTOS: Jorge Bergoglio, Argentine cardinal, elected Pope Francis)

The new pontiff, 76, is also the first pope from Latin America — home to nearly half of the world’s Catholics.