ogolio issue, this time barely mentioned in the speculation leading up to this, retired cardinal told me today, we do that at our own risk because he would be the perfect candidate to bring both sides together if the big names don't get it done in the early rounds of vetting. does that make sense to you? >> it does, chris. listen, when i did my profile of cardinal brogolio to the run-up to this, this is an election, when you're trying to find out who is up and who is down, in normal elections we have empirical data to work with. we look at poll, crowd size, campaign war chests. we don't have any of that. >> we look at a chimney. >> we look at a chimney. >> the chimney is all there is. >> the one thing we have to go on in this case is past performance. we know the cardinal was a serious candidate last time. >> do we know how he's reacted since learning he was almost

pope? >> as you know, the cardinals take a vow of secrecy about what goes on in the conclaves. so the cardinal has never directly addressed what happened. >> has he been active, anything betrayed in his countenance or actions? >> i think he was a very humble man prior to that moment. i think he has continued to be a very humble man after. i don't think he's come ported himself any differently as an almost pope. i think he's continued to be a widely respected leader for the church in argentina and latin america. the problem is he's now eight years older than he was last time around. he's 76. he's had a couple of health scares. and on the back of a pope who has resigned, fighting age and exhaustion, i think those would be serious questions. >> does he represent significant reforms in the areas that matter. has he been an outspoken critic of the sex abuse scandal, someone pushing to do things differently for vatican accountability with finances? is he anywhere on those? >> the child sex abuse scandal

has not erupted in argentina the same way it has in the united states and europe. one of the few occasions where he has commented on it, he has taken what you would consider the kind of reform line, which is support for zero tolerance, support for purification, so on. more broadly, i think he would be seen as a reformer in the sense that he profiles as a man of deep personal integrity. he is also an outsider to the environment of the vatican, a man with a great deal of nuts and bolts experience of running the church in a major complex archdiocese in buenos aires. i think he's the type of man who would be -- who would strike a number of his brother cardinals as a plausible bet to lead the reform of the vatican bureaucracy that so many of them seem to be clamoring for. >> it is interesting to watch, very simple chimney set against the backdrop, the glories of st. peter's basilica and st. peter's square. when you see side by side the images of the chimney and other images we're seeing tonight, could not be a more glorious

sight and setting for this monumental moment. and tens of thousands of people right now are in st. peter's square. we don't have an accurate number from officials, from police, believed to be about 40,000 here last night. it is raining now. and raining and has been for the last several hours which it wasn't as raining as much last night. so it is not clear exactly how many, but certainly many, many thousands of people have gathered here and are eagerly awaiting and many of the states for hours now. >> that's right. some of them have been cam pd out virtually all day, except for a break over lunch. and as we were talking earlier, anderson, what will happen, the smoke we're expecting any minute turns out to be white, then immediately thousands of other people from around rome, tens of thousands will begin rushing to st. peter's square and swell that crowd. to be there for that historic moment when the famous words, habemus papam, we have a pope, are proclaimed. >> 7:00 in the evening here in

rome. about 2:00 in the afternoon in the east coast of the united states. and, again, you look at some of the images, and the crowd, a sea of umbrellas because it is driving rain. not surprising that some here -- there is a sense of joyousness and excitement and we talked about this before, but in past eight years ago obviously, there has always been the death of the preceding pope. so there was a funeral, a sadness preceding this election. this time around, you don't have a death. you have a retirement. pope benedict is still alive. and so there is much more of a joyful atmosphere, i think. >> that's right. as large as the crowd in the square was here last night, you were here eight years ago, you remember that massive tidal wave of humanity that rushed through rome in the immediate aftermath of john paul's death. they estimate between 5 million

and 10 million people came to the city in those days. there was a very atmosphere that was quiet, reverent, somber, because these people believed the church just lost a great pope and a great man. this time there is no equivalent outpouring of grief because pope benedict xvi isn't dead. >> there is an urgency, an excitement. anderson has been walking around. you know the city very well. being around the people here today, they want to know who the pope is. the pageantry of it. there is also an expectation and an urgency here. this is a moment, as we're saying on the screen, smoke could come at any moment, this is true. we're finishing up the tallying of the last vote of the day here, waiting for the smoke. but this is a moment that could be a positive or negative moment for the church. a little unusual. >> well, sure. listen, any papal transition creates a sense of drama. particularly when a pope has voluntarily chosen to step aside, saying, given the limits i face, i'm not the right man to lead the church forward.

it is an indirect way of saying there are some very serious business that needs to be attended to. >> usually we have to decipher, divine from people like you, what kind of people will this be, what will they be about? let's look at their past, when they speak and say things implicitly. this time it has to be more, don't you agree? >> well, i certainly think that the world is expecting something dramatic from the next man to step out on that balcony above st. peter's square. and not nearly, that drama certainly includes a clear signal that intends to be a reformer on the child sexual abuse scandal, tends to be a reformer on financial transparency and those sorts of business management issues, but i also think there is a deeper hunger underneath that. people want someone who can inspire them, who can summon the best out of them. >> they go together this time, don't they? >> they do, of course. >> we keep on separating evangelism and having the accountability, but they seem to dove tail at this particular moment in history for the catholic church because the

enthusiasm for the church has been injured in so many different places because of the perception of the failure of leadership of the church to respond to the worst of crimes, crimes against children. so the ability to evangelize, the messenger is only going as effective as the message. the message does not include reform on that level, what can it be, john? >> i think, chris, you're right. i've said of benedict xvi, he was a world class teacher, but unfortunately he sometimes found his classroom empty because the schoolhouse was burning down because of various crises that erupted on his watch. some of them from the outside, some self-inflicted. you're quite right. if you want to teach the world, you have to be perceived as walking your own talk. and i think that's the challenge in many ways facing the next man to step out on that balcony and try to lead the 1.2 billion catholics around the world. >> we had been told earlier in the day that they thought the conclave would be concluding

sometime around 7:00, early to the 7:00 hour. so we really should be anticipating at any moment seeing this smoke. and, again, the view from a lot of the people in st. peter's square, they're actually -- now that there is darkness, they can't see the chimney. they're watching and you can see some of the large video monitors and there you have it, smoke. >> seems to look a little lighter than last time, but still have to say, kind of dark, kind of light. lightest smoke we have seen. >> i think, chris, that is a fair point. it is the lightest smoke we have seen, but as we have been reminding people -- >> they are excited, the crowd. they're excited in a way they were not last night. they're excited in a way they were not this morning. >> that looks like white smoke. >> it seems to be turning progressively more white. >> we have been told also that the bells of st. peter will ring, but last time, that could

be four or five minutes for confirmation. >> confusion about who could issue the order to turn on the bells the last time. >> we're going to be completely transparent about it, we don't know and the reason we don't know is because this smoke can be historically tricky. we do know this, it is lighter than it has been so far in this conclave. the bell is ringing here in rome. the big ring. that means one thing, john allen. what does it mean? it means -- >> habemus papam, we have a pope. let's listen in.

[ bells tolling ]

>> extraordinary moment for the tens of thousands of people who are in st. peter's square. they can now tell their children and their grandchildren they were there when the new pope was elected. >> 1.2 billion people around the world. their hearts just skipped a beat. they all now look to one man for their future as believers in the catholic church. the cardinals now believe that they know who god wants to lead them. >> john allen, what is happening now that we know by tradition? >> well, anderson, let's start with what's already happened, that in the very moment in which whom ever has been elected pope of the catholic church crossed that two-thirds threshold, he was asked two questions, two faithful questions, one, do you accept your election as supreme pontiff? and obviously his answer to that question is yes. secondly, he was asked by which name he will be known. now, of course, the cardinals in

the sistine chapel have the answer and soon we will too because what is happening in the interim, the new pope is being led to a room near the sistine chapel called the room of tears where he's being vested in the white vestments that signify the papal walk. it is called the room of tears because, can you imagine a more faithful moment in a human being's life than the realization that you are now going to be looked upon by 1.2 billion people on the planet as the vicar of christ on earth, as their spiritual father, not just leader, but their spiritual father, that, of course, is what the word pope means. it means father. so you need time to compose yourself and now you'll return to the sistine chapel where each of the cardinals individually will profess up and pledge their loyalty and support to the pope. then the proto deacon, the

senior cardinal in the order of deacon, the french cardinal, assuming he's not the one himself who has been elected pope, will step out on to that central balcony overlooking st. peter's square and make the famous habemus papam announcement, saying i bring you n news of great joy. we have a pope. he'll give us the name of the man who has been elected and that, of course, obviously, chris and anderson, is the moment all of russ waiting for to see which individual that college of cardinals has been chosen as the new leader of the world's largest and best organized religious institution. >> and remind us, we had a pope before we saw the smoke, right? >> absolutely. absolutely. we had a pope, since that moment, when one man got more than two-thirds of the vote and he was asked, does he accept? under the laws of the catholic church, from the moment he says i accept, he professes what the law describes as full supreme

and universal authority. in other words, he's the pope from that moment forward. >> that's when they begin the process of burning the ballots. >> that's right. after he accepts, he gives the cardinal his name, then the doors to the sistine chapel will be opened or have been opened by this stage, those helpers waiting outside the chapel will then be brought in, some help the pope get vested. others burn the ballots and produce the white smoke that brings this incredible dramatic news to the world. >> haven't had a fifth ballot pope in over 100 years, since they started this. >> and we got one tonight. >> stay tuned for the next 45 minute too minutes to an hour, because within that time frame we'll see for first time who that pope is, what his name is, and both his old name and the name he takes on as pope. and i can tell you right now, the tens of thousands of people in that square, many of them are calling up their friends and their family. soon there will be tens of thousands more people heading to that square.

i think i'm going to go down, head toward the square right now and i'll leave our coverage in your hands. an extraordinary moment happening right now. >> we'll talk to you when you get over there. right now, miguel marquez is in st. peter's square. he's experiencing this moment on the ground. miguel, what is it like? >> well, you know, it is freezing and miserable, but it is electric and exciting all at the same time. the bells as we saw the white smoke and then the big bells started to ring. there was a massive tidal wave of sound that started from right near the basilica and then came back toward us. i'm here with some folks that came in for the conclave. this is erin. how are you? >> i'm erin of the women's organization conference. i have kate and merriam with me. >> what is it like to be here? >> it is a wild experience, actually, waiting for the pope. we all here support the inclusion of women in the catholic church. >> you have your ordained women badges on. how excited are you to be here?

how big a moment for the catholic church? >> you know, i've been a catholic since the moment i was born and, you know, there is something exciting about seeing the white smoke in person. this is the first time. our hope and prayer is it is going to be someone that welcomes the inclusion of women in the catholic church, someone who opens up more roles to women in the catholic church. >> what is your feeling now? you came here from d.c., right? >> i'm worried. a quick election, i don't think that includes women so just we're waiting to see who it is. >> why so nerve snous. >> we're very nervous because we presume that a quick vote means that it is going to be someone that is well known within the curiam, and the men, the cardinals that are very well known and established in rome and the curiam are not very friendly towards women and more traditionalists. so we are a little bit nervous right now, waiting to see who emerges on that balcony. >> well, we will all wait together. very, very exciting.

>> we'll know soon. they should come out. while we have been here, we have been hosting vigils to raise awareness on women's inclusion. we held a few here in rome and also there have been ten in the united states where we have been bringing awareness by raising pink smoke while, you know, while we see the white smoke now. >> we heard this across the u.s. and around the world that people do want and hope for a more open, transparent, liberal, progressive church. do you -- you seem to feel because the smoke came so quickly, everybody was expecting tomorrow, perhaps the next round of voting, your feeling waiting for that -- >> we'll know as soon as that person comes out. i believe in miracles. so, you never know. but, you know, we have been told it will probably be someone more conservative and not in line with reform, but that's something the church desperately needs. >> was there anyone you liked? any one cardinal? >> there are a couple of cardinals that would be better

for a more open and loving and inclusive church. we weren't very hopeful that they stood any chance, though. >> thank you very much. good luck. >> chris, back to you. >> amazing moment. >> all right, miguel. it is an amazing moment. habemus papam. keep working that crowd. let us know what you find there. we'll come back to you. joined here of course by john allen, senior vatican analyst and father edward beck, cnn contributor. big question, who is the new pope? the 266th pope of the catholic church. and interesting perspective, we got there from those young women in the audience they were hoping it would have gone longer because they feel it would have meant a better chance of an outsider. so this being unprecedented, we believe it to be a fifth ballot pope, unusual, kind of between short and long, what does it mean about who it could be, john? >> well, i mean, let me tell you

now that this may be a moment, 45 minutes from now, we look back upon with some embarrassment if we go too far down the road trying to read the tea leaves or the appropriate term, the pope signal, if they wrap up the conclave within the first full day and the evening, really talking a day and a half, that typically that means that one of the only problems -- just to remind our audience, some of those, we were talking about figures like cardinal angelo scola of milan, italy. cardinal marc ouellet, cardinal scherer. but we should say, there are only 115 people who actually have the answer to the question that son the front of all of our brains. we'll find out soon enough, chris. >> right.

so father beck, as a priest, when you see this, the beautiful news for you as a believer, you have a new pope, you have a new father. this point of the conclave, what does it make you think about who your next leader, what type of person they will be? >> obviously a wonderful, historical moment. i'm getting tweets and e-mails already from people, who is it, who is it? i'm trying to respond toin my o way. cardinal scola has been listed as a front-runner. they're calling him the reformer candidate. i don't see it that way. i see him as a traditional candidate. this would be a return to an italian pope. this is a cardinal ratzinger conservative theologian, so for me, that says a return to tradition, traditional catholicism. for me, the reformer pope would

be, who they're calling the traditionalist, cardinal o'malley. this is someone who has reformed the archdiocese of boston. franciscans have been reformers of the church. i would like to switch those terms around and if speculation is that cardinal scola walks out on the balcony, i think people in america, from our perspective would say, a little more of the same old, same old. if a traditionalist walks out on the balcony, i think the church would say it is about reform. >> when cardinal was elected in 1958, people saw that as same old, same old too, and he stunned the world. so i think what is going to be very important, particularly if it is someone who is seen as a traditional figure, such as a cardinal scola, the oriole day will be important because people will want to see, having now stepped into this role, will he

grow into the role and perhaps surprise us all about where he chooses to go. >> let's remind people of what we're waiting for here. we have white smoke. we hear the big bells. it is ringing. it has been ringing for some time. it rang much more quickly this time than it did in the last conclave. if this is a fifth ballot pope, it is the first time that a fifth ballot has brought us a pope in over 100 years. the next thing we'll see is cardinal john luis teran will come to the balcony, announce -- he'll be speaking latin, but you'll hear him say the first name of the pope. so it will give us some idea of who it is. if we're good on our names and not one that is too common, of course, he could be -- >> that's precisely the footnote i was going to deliver. he was one of the 115 cardinals in that sistine chapel. >> what we're seeing here is an amazing scene. the entire area where we are here. people are flooding up the streets, trying to get as close as they can to st. peter's

squa square. in that crowd, you see so many different colors and faces and flags from all over the world. people are all shouting and most in different languages from one another. jim bittermann, close to the sistine chapel. can you hear us? >> yes, indeed, i can. it is quite a scene out here. i'm on the main street that leads up to st. peter's square. people are running toward the square because they want to be there when the pope steps out on the balcony. quite a scene. the bells were going off a minute ago and that seems to be just pulling people in i should say all afternoon long, thousands of people have been packing into the square and basically no one has been leaving. the people that came here, i think, have decided that they were going to stay it out and

those who -- are getting paid off now because the white smoke brought a roar from the crowd. as i speak, more and more people are coming in. >> let me ask you, we have been talking about how much diversity is represented here. what do you see around you? how many different flags and types of nationalities and languages, how diverse is it to you? >> flags we're not seeing because of people holding flags and umbrellas, but everybody from around the world, i see, you see just all sorts of diverse groups, you see a lot of religious folks are here, different orders of nuns and priests and they have been packing in all afternoon long. and then just regular tourists. a lot of folks just in town who decided they better get over here for this historic moment and more people -- just as i'm speaking here, all of a sudden a surge of people running in, i

suspect some of these are probably romans too, because they want to be here for this moment, but it is a combination. just a real mix. >> we'll be back to you in a little bit. behind us, we watch people flooding up the roads, translated the road of constellation. this is great constellation for the population here because they have what they wanted to see, the new pope. of course, we're living history right now with the catholic church because this is the first time in the history, certainly modern history, where there are two living popes. pope benedict, now pope emeritus, and the new yet unknown to us pope. and to remind john, right now we're waiting, but there is plenty of activity inside. what is going on inside? >> well, what is going on at the moment, we should remind people from the white smoke to the habemus papam announcement, the revelation of the new pope, we can be talking about a half

hour, 45 minutes, it won't happen instantaneously. what is happening in the meantime is the new pope has been vested with the white vestments, signifying the papal walk. >> they have three different sizes. >> that's right. basically for small guy, medium sized guy and what we might call the well nourished pope. that's also ready to go. >> so last time with pope benedict, what happened? >> well, pope benedict had the medium sized outfit, but it was a chilly night that night in rome so he had the black sweater on he wore into the conclave under the white vestment. he came out to do his vesting, extending his arms, the photographers caught the black sleeves under the white robe and when they issued the official photo of that night, they airbrushed the black out. >> i read a report it actually did not fit him and they put him in a white -- and they were embarrassed by the fact that none of the three fit him for some reason. >> yeah. that is absolutely right. they actually had to make some adjusts on the fly. and because they weren't coming

together and anxious to get him out on the balcony, they dressed him up, one of the reasons he had the sweater on underneath. >> we'll show you the white smoke as it came, this first signal of this new pope there. we're rolooking at a live pictu there. want to show you the smoke when it came out. as we do that, there it is. that's when the smoke came out. it was another beautiful illustration of the confusion of this. the simple theater of it all. was it white, was it not? as it got lighter, the crowd went wild, we got confirmation from the big bell. we believe habemus papam, we have a pope. >> anderson cooper made his way to the square. anderson, do you hear us? >> i do. and it is really an extraordinary thing to actually be here in st. peter's square. obviously the crowds are growing really by the second. people are literally running up the block to try to get a good vantage point where they will be able to see the pope as he comes

out on the balcony for first time. there is, as i said, a real sense of excitement, the rain has largely stopped, so people are gathering as quickly as possible. we're going to try to talk to some people, but quickly sort of cordoning off areas because they do anticipate a real swell in the number of people here. last night there was about estimated to be about some 40,000 people here. no telling how many people are here at this point. but with the rain stopping, and the fact that there has been white smoke, people from all over this city are trying to get to this destination because they want to be here, chris, when the pope emerges for the first time. and what a moment that will be. >> watching the chimney with great anticipation. so are they. are you hearing anything from them about who you think it will be or what they want this to be about? are you picking that up yet? >> no. it is interesting. when the white smoke first

occurred, there was cheers, excitement. now there is more of a sense of anticipation. people waiting. i think many people, as you know, you've been here for many days, many people you talk to, they all have their favorites. they all have somebody they would like to see. whether they actually know that cardinal or not, whether it is just somebody they read about, they generally have somebody that they hope, but at this point, no one is really -- i haven't heard too many people trying to guess or feeling pretty secure in knowing who it is. i think it is anybody's guess. the fact that this was the fifth vote, you could read that in a multitude of different ways and a lot of discussion here going on about who it might be, what this might mean for the church moving forward. but, again, all eyes are on that little balcony a few blocks away. >> i'll let you go report it out there. please let me know when you have

something -- >> chris, let me just bring in some -- how are you? how is it going? let me give you a mike here. what is your name? >> jacob. >> what is your name? >> lincoln. >> why are you from? >> new york. >> upstate new york. >> connecticut. >> what are you doing here? >> we're studying abroad and the pope election, got to come and be in st. peter's square. >> i see you're wearing american flags, you wanted to represent. how long have you been in the square? >> probably since 4:00. >> 4:00. >> yeah. >> why did you want to be here? >> once in a lifetime thing for us. to be actually in rome, studying, and happen to have a new pope at the same time is amazing. >> do you have a favorite, somebody who you think it may be, hope it may be? >> o'malley. >> cardinal o'malley? >> yeah. >> why? what about him? >> he's from boston, close to me. and, you know, i think that he would -- he's the best one that could bring a transition for the catholic church to, you know,

the modern times. >> you want to see some sort of change, some sort of modernization? >> yeah yeah. i think right now the church needs to transition and integrate itself into the modern world better, that way twill be easier for, you know, for it to continue. >> did you ever anticipate you would be here to witness something like this? >> never in a million years would i think i would be here for a new pope and to be actually in rome for this experience, it is unreal. >> what has it been like? what is the atmosphere been like over the last couple of hours? you were here -- it has been pouring. >> just to see the amount of people that have come in over the hours, just to see -- it is pretty amazing. to see how people are reacting to it now, knowing there is white smoke, it is just a really nice feeling to hear. >> have you called your family to tell them you're here? >> yeah. i talked to my mom earlier. and she's pretty jealous. >> yeah. and what -- how long do you plan on staying here?

>> until he gets out on to that balcony. can't miss a picture with him. >> you guys are -- you have a long lens or just on your iphone? >> i got a long lens. we have to make sure we get a picture. >> have you met people from around the world here? what have they been saying to you? >> we have come across a lot of people in the world that have been here. it is pretty -- it is pretty interesting to hear what other people have to think about their opinion and what they want and the church and what kind of changes that they're expecting. >> what sort of things are you hearing from people? >> a lot of things we were talking about more modernization, getting more people of our age group involved, like 20-year-olds and around that age group, because we are a big population in the world that is nice to get us involved so that's what a lot of people have been talking about. >> have other people expressed to you the people they would like to see, have you been discussing favorites? >> not too much.

mostly, yeah, mostly talking to other americans, so they're saying o'malley or -- >> do you think there could be an american pope? >> i sure hope so. it would be really nice to see an american come out on to the balcony. it would be a pretty awesome feeling. >> yeah. do you speak latin at all? do you know what he'll be saying? >> i have no idea what he'll say. >> but you know habemus papam, we have a pope. >> that's the one you got to know. >> so glad you're here. thank you for talking to me. >> thank you. >> have fun. we obviously there are people from all around the world here in this crowd at this moment. those two young men literally draped in american flags. you see people carrying flags from countries all around the world. and a lot of italians pouring in here at second. the crowds are growing just in the last two minutes that i've been here, this area around me has filled up. becky anderson is also here in the crowd. we are just 10, 20, 30 minutes

or so away from the doors on that balcony opening up and underneath the red curtain, the new pope emerging for the first time and the world will learn who he is, and what his name is going to be. becky, are are you in the crowd? what are you seeing here? >> i'm about 50 yards away from the barriers at vatican city. people are pouring up the road here past me. from ghana, mexico, france, lots of italians, one man came up and gave me a huge hug on his bicycle. just said papa and rode on. it is a real sense of drama here. a lot of people are walking, but many people are running as you can see. they all want to get as close as they can. they know that they got about what 20 minutes before, as you suggest, we see the new pope emerge on to that balcony, just behind me.

how do i describe it? a sense of excitement, a sense of drama. people just very much excited. the point is, i've never seen as many people smiling as i have in the last 25 minutes. it is absolutely remarkable. people now running again as you can see. chris, back to you. >> thank you, becky. we see the swiss guards starting to move in. their preparation. we went from all eyes on the chimney to all eyes on the balcony at st. peter's basilica here. let's reset. if you're joining us, welcome to our viewers in america and around the world. local time in rome, just after 7:30 p.m. we're going to show you what all the excitement is about. white smoke in what we believe to be the fifth ballot for pope here in rome, the 115 cardinals sent out their signal. soon after the smoke, we heard the big bell, and that means

catholics have a new pope. 1.2 billion people around the world now look to one man as their spiritual father. who he is, we're waiting to see. we take you back to live picture there at st. peter's square of the excitement growing. people flooding the streets. now we're watching the procession that is going to precede the next pope being brought out on to the balcony. that will be done, of course, by cardinal john luis tauran. he has that job of speaking latin and the little guessing game there will be that he will say the first name within the first sentence or so of what he says in latin. you'll hear that name. if we can put it to somebody as a unique name, we'll know who the pope is, otherwise we'll have to wait until he's presented. we're watching the swiss guards, getting into position from the time that the smoke comes, traditionally, anywhere from

half an hour to 45 minutes before the actual pope is presented. the reason for that is there is more ritual, more process going on inside. the pope has to be dressed. he has to meet the other 114 cardinals, give them their fledge of loyalty. there is time for prayer and reflection. then it is time to meet the world. i'm joined here by john allen. and father edward beck down in st. peter's square, a team of people down there, led by anderson cooper who is getting afeel for the excitement. we're watching from here as the swiss guard starts to seamible, getting ready for tpresentation of the pope. how high is the excitement? >> it is really building. you see people literally pouring in here by the second. thousands of people coming in. every now and then there will be a crowd of young people dancing as they move, try to get a position closer to the balcony.

we talked with some americans here, you can hear a cheer going up in some parts of the crowd. it really is an incredibly festive atmosphere. people, as i said, from all around the world, i just talked to a woman who lived in new york but is from hungary, originally. everyone wants to be here. and you see people on their cell phones, they're talking to their loved ones around the world, or encouraging their friends or relatives elsewhere in rome to try to get here as quickly as possible. now that the rain has let up, that will encourage even more people to be here. but it is -- i can tell you all eyes are on the balcony. nobody wants to miss that moment where the announcement is made, habemus papam, we have a pope. and the pope will emerge out on the stage in his garments. and give his first words as pope, an extraordinary moment. >> those are the words.

we were waiting for the white smoke. now habemus papam. two latin words that everybody understands and that will happen first. and then the pope will actually be presented after. this is a big moment for many reasons. certainly big for catholics because this is just the tradition of having their leader, but the church having a profile around the world, john allen, this moment in history of people expecting certain types of change, a big challenge, let's say, for this new pope. >> yes, that's right. the pope is not going to lay out the program at this time. but this is, you know, first impressions, this is his first debut on the public stage as the new leader of the catholic church. in 1978, john paul used that moment to break with centuries, and it used to be the pope stepped out, delivered the blessing and went back inside the vatican. john paul, in addition to the blessing, delivered some impromptu remarks for the crowd, including joking with them and saying i apologize if i make

some mistakes, and then in our italian language. and his master of ceremonies tried to pull him back because he thought the pope didn't know what to do. john paul slapped his hand away, which was that first indication the guy was going to break the mold. so till with be very interesting to see how the new pope comports himself when he steps out and makes the introduction. >> of the people here, sitting on the set now, father beck -- what is it like to know that there is someone who is going to be your spiritual father that you are just about to meet? >> i feel such excitement and anticipation. and the hope of something new, no matter who that is. it is going to be something new, someone new. i can't help but feel the holy spirit right now. i feel it in this place. i feel it in this square. i feel it inside of me. so it is a wonderful moment to be a part of and i think whatever church -- whatever direction we take in the church, it is going to be something that we need to follow closely for the time of what will be the

future and how wille get there? and whoever steps out on the balcony will be very instrumental in that direction. >> what do we know about the different uniforms coming up right now? we saw the swiss guard. who are all the others? >> what you saw in front of the swiss guard was a band. remember, the pope was once the head of not only a spiritual leader, but a temporal monarch that governs the papal states. there is a papal band. there still are papal knights who are in back of the pope, with a secular rumor and so on. papal nobility, and what you're watching, different representatives of these groups. centuries old traditions set on these singular highly ceremonial moments in the life of the vatican come out in full force. >> let's get back to anderson, who is with the crowd. anderson? >> there are people on set from

all around the world. you're from hungary. you live in new york, but you're from hungary? >> yes, i'm hungarian. >> why did you want to be here? >> i think this is very important to be here to celebrate the new pope. >> not only in rome, you're changing planes, but you wanted to spend the whole day here just in case. >> yes, because it is beautiful here. and i would like to know who is the new pope. >> did you think you would be here to see the white smoke? >> no, i didn't know that. i didn't know that. i want to see everything here today. >> how many hours have you been here for? >> a couple of hours. and i just came here by bus. my husband phoned me by phone to tell me a new pope was elected.

>> terribly exciting. >> it is very exciting. >> you are part of history. i'm so glad you're here. thank you very much. that's the sentiment. people are so glad they are here. whether they were here for the white smoke or able to be here right now. and, again, i'm looking at more -- hundreds of people are just pouring in. by the location, we'll continue to bring you their reaction throughout the night, chris. >> all right, anderson. we're monitoring. it is developing. there is a band playing. it is hard to hear them above all the screaming in the crowd. let's take a listen and see if we can hear any. tough to make it out. the crowd is making its own music. if we can show you the camera, leading up that avenue, you see the avenue that is lit there, that is called the road of constellation here, st. peter's basilica. people are just flooding down it, if you can watch right now.

we have the camera on it. right now we're seeing it -- all the different groups that are attached to the vatican, the security, the nobility, the band. they're all getting ready for the presentation of the new pope. and people are just flooding in to st. peter's square. now, john allen, is there any particular process to this? what are we watching unfold here? >> well, what we're watching is, of course, on the screen now we're seeing the swiss guard. remember, the swiss guard, their task, their mandate is to protect whoever is in charge of the catholic church. so up until 8:00 p.m. local rome time on february 28th it was benedict xvi. then it was the college of cardinals. now they have a new pope. you also see a traditional papal band dating back in time when the pope was the secular monarch in italy playing the vatican anthem. >> is that what this is? >> that's correct. >> we're listening to the

vatican anthem. let's take a listen. ♪

>> okay. we're watching here as everything gets in -- somebody is speaking right now. not sure who it is. >> it is not cardinal tauran quite yet, the one who will make the famous habemus papam announcement. >> that's the next big noemomen when cardinal tauran reads out in latin, the following, habemus papam, but he'll say, i announce with great joy we have a pope. habemus papam. the reverent lord, cardinal of the holy roman church, because he'll be the archbishop of rome, the official duty for the pope, and then he will say his last name. and then he will say who has taken the name and he'll say what name the new pope has taken. >> and, of course, just to remind people, we're operating on the assumption that cardinal

tauran will make the announcement because we're thinking he has not himself been elected. there is the outside possibility and if anyone other than cardinal tauran steps out on to the balcony to make the announcement, we'll know. >> and, of course, it is important to pay attention to what name will this new pope take. often it is a signal of the direction of the papacy. will it be a reforming papacy? a traditionalist one? you'll recall when pope benedict took benedict, he said he did it because of benedict, the head of western -- >> and pope benedict 1xv, a lot of people thought a man who had been elected as 78 thought that was god's plan for him as well and his papacy lasted eight years. >> he was a man of peace. he went against the war at the time. >> he was one of the leaders in trying to stop, as it turned

out, trying to bring the first world war to an end. >> could we have someone like john paul i who put two names together to say something very distinct about what his papacy would be and he was a first. >> the truth is, of course, we could have virtually anything. we're all on pins and needles waiting to see how it is going to play out. >> our viewers, if you're joining us now from america, from around the world, we're waiting for the two most famous words, in catholicism, in latin, habemus papam. we're waiting for a cardinal to come out on to the balcony of st. peter's basilica and say that now, the new pope is receiving his vestments, receiving his loyal college of cardinals, the other 114 cardinals who are not pope. having time for prayer. in a room of tears, which is named that because of the emotion that comes. and nobody more expectant than the huge crowd. anderson cooper is down there with them. anderson? >> yeah, chris, i'm here with

three young americans. tell us your napes and where you're from. >> nicole from philadelphia, pennsylvania. >> sherry, from boulder, colorado. >> max from washington, california. >> what is it like being here? >> we were here when the pope resigned and the new one will be announced soon. >> you weren't here for the white smoke. how did you find out the information? >> our power went out, so we -- >> this is rome, after all. >> her mom texted her. perfect timing for us. >> came out of the shower. >> out of the shower. >> why was this important for you to be here? >> i went to catholic school, you have to be here, it is a moment in history, a moment you can never forget it. so, yeah. >> and you said your grandparents were here for the last one? >> my grandparents were here last time.

they witnessed the white smoke and everything. it is a powerful community here. >> it is extraordinary to be here and see all the people and talk to all the people from all around the world. >> it is. even our group at school is very eclectic, all over the country, students from china. and just everyone. people were here earlier waving spanish flags. >> we're ready to run from class. >> you were planning to be here over the last several days. >> yeah. we're all prepping. >> all the teachers know the kids are going to bolt. >> is there somebody you would like to see becoming the pope? >> it would be amazing to see an american, but we'll see. >> don't know. what about you guys? >> promising this time. o'malley and dolan we would like to see one of those two become pope, but we'll see. >> you said you're catholic. is there something you hoped for the church moving forward? >> i think definitely important for the pope to realize, like, the modernization of the church and to see that moving forward and what he can do to connect

with people, on a deeper level, like today's times. that's what i hope for with the new pope. >> i would like to see a morewi. my generation is very in touch with our religion and we like to see that go forward into the future. >> it is an overwhelming role for whoever becomes pope. not only do they have to evangelize the faith and be the spokesperson, they have to manage the inner workings of the vatican and deal with the faithful and all the issues and problems that are plaguing the church. >> there is a lot to be dealt with. the modernization is a huge issue now as well as addressing all the scandals and all that monetary and rest going on. i think it is a big deal. but i think they'll choose the right pope. >> we talked about the joyful atmosphere here and that's really reflected here. i know you want to get back out into the crowd, appreciate you being with us. thanks so much. i'm so glad you are here. chris, back to you. >> hey, anderson. let me ask you something.

i still got you, anderson? >> yeah. >> okay. >> great. i wanted to ask you, you've seen so many different types of big events all around the world. how is it being down there with the crowd right now? >> it is really unlike anything else. i was here eight years ago after the death of the last pope, pope john paul ii, and obviously that was an extraordinarily moving event, and filled with great sadness. there were people here, so many millions of people who came to rome in those days who wanted to pay their respects to the last pope. i remember being in line with people here, they were trying to get in to st. peter's basilica for mass, for the pope. people collapsing on the ground because they were waiting in line for so long, people literally exhausted. and there really is a -- as -- there really is a joyfulness here in the crowd this time that we haven't seen in past times because there hasn't been a

death. this does not follow a funeral. there is not that sense of sadness while many are sad to see pope benedict retire, he is still very much alive and, you know, still very much a part of the history of this church. so i think there really is this excitement and joyfulness. i think everybody comes to this square on this night with different expectations of who they want to see pope, of where they want to see the church go. but everybody is united in their faith and united in their excitement and in the -- the majesty of this moment and to be part of this moment. it is something -- it is an extraordinary thing for those who are here. >> the stage is certainly set for something that the catholic church is rarely identified with and that is change. it was given change in the form of pope benedict resigning to create this moment. they have now elected a new pope on the fifth ballot, which hasn't been done in 100 years.

the date, 3/13/13. and in and of itself a little portentous. and now we wait to see because as we have heard from people consistently here in rome and all around the world, by the way, people are gathering, st. patrick's cathedral in new york city, other churches and big capitals in countries, people are gathering to see around the world who this new pope will be. voices from all over the world have been outspoken about how they're expecting change. this is a big moment, nurnl for the catholic church to be in a position where people will measure who the new pope is. more by what he does, than at any time certainly in my lifetime. there is still mystery here to see who will be. we're watching the balcony at st. peter's. this is a famous scene. people represented from all over the world. we're waiting now for cardinal jean-louis tauran. he will come out and say the words we want to hear, habemus

papam. and then there will be a little bit of a procession that follows it as with everything in catholicism, ritual to it. we're not just going to see the pope, john, right? first of all, here, cardinal tauran, assuming he's not the pope, he'll make a mention of what his name is -- >> i think that's a fairly big one. it is huge. but short. >> it is huge and significant. good point. but there will be other cardinals around him, there will be a cross bearer. there is a whole cadre that comes up. >> the sistine chapel is at one hend of t end of the hall of blessing and then where they celebrate mass in the morning. this balcony is in the middle of the hall. there will be a procession that makes its way down the sistine chapel. you'll see a senior cardinal step out on the balcony first. the other cardinals will be crowded around the -- behind the pope and other sides of him, to show support to show the

unanimity of the body of cardinal standing behind their new leader, the cardinal, and 1.2 billion catholics around the world. >> such a big deal to know who it is. we know the name of who this man is, it is going to be a window into what this decision is about. fair? >> it will. in the past, the name the pope picks has traditionally said something about what that pope will be. will it be a traditionalist or a reformer? some indication will be given by whatever name this person is given. i've said before, we tended to say one of the leading kennedys, ca -- candidates, cardinal scola, is more of a reformer. i don't know that's the perception, mostly in the united states, has. i think because he's an italian, cardinal scola, and because he's associated with cardinal ratzinger and his theology, he's seen as a traditionalist in people's views, even though he's never worked in the vatican.

so that whole idea of traditionalist versus reformer has really paid heavily in this whole leading up to this conclave and -- >> you're right. though we ought to say, you and i know both cardinals and many of the other cardinals from the college because over the last several days we have been absorbed by this. but first, people in the united states will immediately bring the perception one way or the other of whoever -- whichever man gets elected and steps out on to the balcony. i think that creates a window of opportunity for the new pope to present himself to the world. i think people will be paying very careful attention, beginning in a few moments when he makes his debut on the global stage as the leader of the catholic church to define himself. >> as chris and others have been saying, there may be more on the line this time, in terms of people's expectations and their hopes for where this new pope might take the church and has been the case for some time. >> that is an excellent point. that's certainly the case. while exciting and majestic as this is to watch, no matter what

you believe, if you believe in anything at all, the pure fact of the situation is that you can talk about reformer or traditional and draw it up any way you want. if this new pope of the catholic church isn't someone who is immediately identified with a different type of accountability, so that money can go where it is needed to go, to help the poor in the world, the primary mission of the catholic church, he is not identified as somebody who is going to take new and bold steps to ensure that the moral standard of catholicism as it is expressed, it is pure to uphold itself everywhere. this is going to be a very troublesome moment for the catholic church. >> always interesting, chris, who does the definition -- there is the media of the definition, the church, just today at the press conference, we have father lombardi, the issue of father mahoney came up and obviously

what we heard about yesterday, the big settlement in los angeles, that was brought up, and i was fascinated to see father lombardi address it directly and say that we have confidence that this is being dealt with, in the most -- in the best manner of what needs to be dealt with. what did you think of the statement today? do you think that said we don't take this seriously? >> father lombardi, the official spokesopinion fperson for the v. it was surprising because in the weeks leading up to this, when others were here getting ready for the conclave, were asked about cardinal mahoney, their response was whether cardinal mahoney participates or not is up to him and i'm not going to pass judgment on his record. so certainly a different tone. but, again, all of that is water under the bridge once the new pope steps out on to the balcony and presents himself to the world. >> to use a concept very familiar to catholics, we need

to have faith. there has to be faith right now that these cardinals have made the best decision and that means something that brings this church forward. for viewers just joining us in america and around the world, we have a new pope. let me show you the smoke, that signaled it to us all, the white smoke. there it is. we fwknew it was lighter than t smoke we had seen, and then we heard the bell, which means habemus papam, we have a pope. at that moment, people started to flood into st. peter's square. flags from all over the world. we're told it can hold 100,000. the square seems full and then the streets that lead to it, the road of constellation, is full three-quarters of the way down as i look behind me. we have been watching as this swiss guard and all of the other beautiful uniforms have come out

in assembly, the band, all the different aspects of vatican power on display here as they await, watching the famous balcony at the basilica, no movement there yet. we're waiting for the photo deacon cardinal john-louis tauran to come out and give the delivery of habemus papam and say the name of the new pope, of course. if it is anyone but cardinal tauran, that mean he's the new pope. we don't expect that, but you never know. we have correspondents around the world in key cities where the cardinals that have been common in discussion about who could be pope are from. we're getting reaction from the cities coming in slowly as everyone waits. we have to find out who the new pope is before we can get reaction from his home country. now we wait. and it has been about 25, 30 minutes since we had a pope traditionally from the time we

see the smoke and the pope is presented, anywhere from half an hour to 45 minutes. as we absorb the scene here. >> interesting to note that two mothers of the possible contenders here have weighed in. she said she hopes her son is not elected because she would never see him again. and cardinal schonborn from austria said the same thing, his mother weighed in and said i hope he's not elected because i'm 92, i can't travel to rome and want him to come home. >> let's be honest, everybody's mother wants him to be pope, catholic or not. let's get to new york. christiane amanpour is there. the significance of this, how big is it? >> it is obviously massive. you know, as you've been saying, 1.2 billion people in the world are waiting to see who their next leader will be, but, of course, it is not just catholics. it is people all over the world, because the catholic pope is a bit of a statement.

you remember all the travels that john paul ii -- he really started the rock star pope, the evangelizing around the world, the presence of the catholic church all over the world. pope benedict xvi didn't have as successful an international mission because he wasn't as charismatic. but, of course, here in new york, the home of cardinal timothy dolan and cardinal dolan has been on many people's list as a possible contender. now, he's told us, he's told many people, i interviewed him in rome a couple of weeks ago, just ahead of going into the conclave, just while pope benedict was stepping down, and he says, look, i've got a better chance of pitching for the yankees than actually becoming pope. he's used terribly colorful language to describe and to play down his chances. however, he did seriously say and enumerated for me that the qualities that are going to be needed in the next pope. somebody who is not just a man of god, obviously, but somebody who is also a very good

administrator. i think you'll find that a lot of these cardinals who are going in realize full well that they have been in conclave, electing a leader at a time of quite unprecedented turmoil. we mentioned over and again over the last several weeks the abuses, whether it be the financial scandals, the allegations of corruption, whether it be the sex abuse scandals, and therefore a good administrator, a good evangelizer, somebody charismatic, who can get the message across and clean up the place a little bit. chris? >> all right, we'll come back to you in a little bit. reaction from all over the world. we heard when white smoke was seen, president obama in the united states was in a conference with republican leaders. and he immediately stopped the session and made a joke about how we have white smoke, so obviously significant no matter where you are, no matter who you are. to anderson cooper, he's with the people who are expectantly waiting in st. peter's square. anderson? >> that's right. we have been talking with people

who -- a lot of people have come from the united states who are here. flavio is italian, lives in rome. you heard there was white smoke. how did you get her? >> . >> i took my car, got my mother and my friend and got here really fast. normally would take me 15 minutes, i got here in seven. >> got here in seven minute, no police around. >> no police around this year. it is one time opportunity, i guess. >> why was it so important to be here? >> well, first of all, because it is my first time as a roman to see the pope. there is a saying in rome that you can't be rome and not see the pope. i guess i can't live in rome and not think the first day of pope. >> you remember john paul ii, your first memory of a pope, and he was very special to you. what are you hoping for in this pope? >> maybe a little naive, but john paul iii, maybe something

like this. i consider john paul ii as my second father, like, in an official way. so i am really looking forward to see somebody not exactly like him, but just bring into me as a catholic of faith in the church. >> how do you see him compared to benedict? >> john paul ii or -- >> yes. >> well, john paul ii was my first pope. so i was really attached to him. and i really cried a lot the last year of his life. and then i guess i can manage to carry on with benedict xvi. now i'm just reconsidering him. >> you hope there is an italian pope? >> i hope -- i hope -- the pope is for everybody. so any pope will be just fine.

he will bring the state and all over the world. >> is this something you will tell your children, your grandchildren, you were here in this moment? >> yes, i will tell them i was here and i was interviewed by cnn. i never expected that. >> i wish you the best. glad you're here. thank you very much, flavio. it is amazing how many people have smiles on their face just to be here, and to bear witness to this moment, whether it is -- they are people of faith or whether they are -- they're not catholic and simply viewing this as a moment in history. there is just so much joy and excitement and you see people unfurling flags, flags of faith, flags of different countries all around the world. you see groups of young people kind of huddled together, jumping up and down, dancing and singing. and there is a roar going up through the crowd. i'm not exactly -- maybe you can see better than we can, chris. >> starting to -- >> yeah.

there is a little bit of light being cast now up on the balcony, anderson. we're starting to watch it. seems like light could mean movement, could mean they're getting ready to come out. there is a lot of anticipation, but you have to remember, as we learned from john allen, as he's given us a tutorial in how things work from the conclave and the presentation of the pope, from the time there is smoke and see the pope is about 45 minutes, right? >> or so. the pope is, among other things, given an opportunity to pray in the chapel. and this is after the habemus papam announcement. and, of course, it is up to him how long he chooses to pray. it is also up to him how long he chooses to remain in the room of tears. and so there is some elasticity built into the timing. but based on five years ago, we would be expecting this habemus papam announcement at any moment. >> the crowd is chanting now. let's listen.

>> look at that picture. look at how many people. >> we were looking at the square maybe an hour ago in the sort of river of humanity, that has poured into st. peter's square and the surrounding areas, it is astonishing. it is a reminder the transitions of any -- the transitions in the papacy are always fraught with drama and also fraught with hope, hope for change, hope for a new beginning. and you feel that excitement in the crowd that has gathered here tonight. >> and also very pointed expectation about this. may be beautiful and majestic and the sound you hear going past us is a hospital nearby, no

emergency situation. they come by regularly. but this is pointed expectations. because of what has been going on in the world regarding the catholic church, because of the desire of women to be more equal within the catholic church, addressing financial and the behavior of priests. so the big issues on the table. if i go back to christiane amanpour in new york, christiane, you've been tackling these issues for some time now. and whoever this pope is, they're going to have to be very big steps that are part of his early introduction. isn't that a fair point, no matter what label you want to put on as a reformer or traditionalist, he'll have to be very strong on things like taking steps to stop the abuse, making financial accountability. what do you think of that? >> well, chris, you're absolutely right. and, you know, for instance, we know this pope has been elected by 115 men.

no women are eligible or able to vote. and many women, particularly here in the united states, concerned about that. there is a majority of american catholic women who believe that there should be a lot more movement towards more equality for women in the church. for instance, if they're not going to be allowed to be priest which, they're not, there is another role called deacon, less than a priest. they can conduct certain church business -- certain official duty. so you saw also a group of female activists who came to the first day of the conclave and let off that pink smoke, that was their symbol, for, hey, time for more equality for women. and more women raised the point, more catholic women raised the point that if there were more women in the administrative and not just the past four missions of the catholic church, but in the hierarchy, perhaps some of these horrendous abuses and crimes would have not happened.

>> all right, thank you for that, christiane. as we look at the faces in the crowd, so many children on their parents' shoulders. and it raises the question, what kind of church will they inherit? this man who is about to come out, be presented as pope, the people we see in the crowd, whether clergy or not, young or old, they are the church. it is the people that really carry forth the belief, the faith and the tradition. their leader is the pope. this man who is going to come out. the direction he takes this church will be the church they inherit, old and young. the decision means so much to them, and, of course, then has feather be father beck, larger significance because of the influence on society in general whether or not you're a believer. >> worldwide influence. these are not only catholic people you're looking at. this is every religion, every nationality, religious, laity.

this is humanity right in front of us, witnessing what is about to happen on that balcony. it really is a vision of the catholic church. catholic, of course, means universal. and this is a universal view, right now, that we're seeing in st. peter's square. >> st. peter's square is packed to the gills. as i look around us here, down the street from st. peter's, people are running up, still flooding in, still coming all the way down the avenue as you look there, as you look up at the lights on either side of the road of constellation, people that go all the way up there. there is an announcement coming now, i believe. let's listen for a second. >> -- new pope who in a short period of time will come out to the balcony of the facade of st. peter's basilica.

okay. the curtains are moving. the curtains are moving. we have arrived. we're there. we can see some movement. >> the curtains are starting to move. that means we're just moments away. there they are. they're open. >> that is cardinal tauran. >> i announce to you with great joy, we have a pope.

>> he said in latin, i'm not sure what he -- >> all right. we believe that the name they said was bergoglio, the archbishop of buenos aires,

argentina. he's the man believed to have finished second to benedict in the last conclave. we have been told earlier today by a retired cardinal, bere goal yeaho was -- bergoglio was not in the conversation as front-runner. he can bring everyone together. he needs no introduction. >> you may recall, chris, earlier in the week, we were saying if the cardinals had a strong desire to elect someone who could symbolically represent the dynamic growth of catholicism outside the west, and if they could unify around the single lat in candidate, tht would be the position. we thought there was a number of candidates, but we know from eight years ago, cardinal bergoglio had enormous respect then and enormous respect now. he's a member -- a jesuit, a member of the society of jesus. >> what are they putting out now, john? >> this is a tapestry, getting

ready for the pope, what is known as his urbi et orbi address, address to the city and the world. this is the papal tapestry, chris, because now there is once again a pope of the catholic church. >> right. for those of you trying to figure out what this means before he comes out, he believe he finished second in the conclave, he's a simple man, lives in a small apartment, makes his own meal. he eschewed any of the grandeur, the trappings -- >> he renounced his limousine that the arch bush of buenos aires had and took the bus to work every day so the people knew that if they wanted a few minutes with their archbishop, they could hop on the bus with him and have an informal rolling audience. >> he was born september 17th, 1936 in buenos aires.

he was ordained for the jesuits in 1969, cardinal in 2001 by john paul ii. that's who it is, if it is cardinal jorge mario bergoglio, he's the next pope. >> i said to you in new york, second person last time got 40 votes supposedly according to the accounts of the cardinal's diary, why is nobody talking about him? we said maybe he's considered too old. i guess if he was the case, he was not considered too hold. >> it just goes to show you so many of the factors we often thought out in terms of the handicap yin handicapping, things like nationality and age, often are secondary. think those 115 voters, the numbers, wanted to elect the man they believed brought the rig qualities and they believe they found that man in cardinal jorge mario bergoglio to become the first noneuropean pope in the history of the catholic church.

>> very important because it shows a catholic church expansion around the world. south america has the most catholics of any place in the world. we have been talking about would the catholic church extend itself, go beyond europe. and now we know our answer. if cardinal bergoglio is the new pope, south america has its first -- we have our first noneuropean pope. would he be the first pope -- >> he will be first pope outside of europe and the first pope from the realm outside the west. and let's remember, chris, almost half, over 40% of the catholics in the world today live in latin america, spanish is the most commonly spoken language in the catholic church. and so this is a dramatic, historic moment for the catholic church. and italian television is saying he picked the name francesco. which would be stunning, the first pope whoever names himself

after st. francis of assisi. >> what would be the significance? >> st. francis believes the church needed to be reformed. he went into the square, took off all of his clothing and said, no, i'm not going to be trapped by all of these externals. i'm going to live a simple life, a life of poverty, as witness to jesus. and so how fascinating that we have been talking about a reformer pope and that is exactly what we saw. >> francis, the great patron saint of poverty, lady poverty. he talked about his love and romance with poverty, of seen as the great patron of simplicity, humility, closeness to the people, if you like the antibody, all of the sort of -- we have about the church being removed and ethereal and out of touch, if indeed the new pope has chosen the name francis, you would agree that is one of most dramatic bits of introductory

symbolism. >> and for a jesuit, ignacious, his own founder -- >> emblematic of itself. >> yes. >> we have been talking about the catholic church, are there symbols of potential change? pope benedict creating this opportunity, doing something so new. the conclave having unusually robust general congregations before it. where big issues came up. the idea that this is on the fifth ballot and that's unusual. and now you get a pope who is from south america. when is last pope from south america? >> never. >> the first pope from south america. this is the first pope named francis. these are all firsts. >> incredibly dramatic. both it be substantively and symbolically. it is worth saying that of these 1.2 billion catholics from the world today, two-thirds of them live outside the west. that will be three-quarters by midcentury. you could make an argument that the single most dramatic transition in catholicism today

is the shift in the center of gravity from north to south. and to have a pope now who symbolizes that burgeoning catholic footprint outside the west, obviously there is not only going to be a party in buenos aires, but optimism across -- >> to reset for people coming from america or around the world, we have a new pope. we believe it is a cardinal from south america, the first pope, first noneuropean pope, first pope from south america to be sure, and we believe it is cardinal bergoglio. jorge mario bergoglio from buenos aires. this is portentous of change we have been saying, giving us a pope on the fifth ballot, which hasn't happened in 100 years. and now a south american for the first time, named francis, we believe, according to italian television, the first time, first pope francis, all signs that maybe there will be change.

cardinal bergoglio, important to note, we believe, finished second to pope benedict in the last conclave. we have been told if a big name doesn't pull out, the 77 early on, he could be the great uniter. he is somebody everybody respects. >> he would be seen very much as the moderate from his own ideological stance, someone who crosses boundaries, but seen as a keen mind, seen as a very capable administrator, seen as a man of real personal integrity, humility and simplicity and a man of great faith. >> and humble. that matters, doesn't it? >> how often have we heard people want the church to be linked with the wealth and the power. this is a man who gave up his residence, moved into a small apartment, gave up his driver. he wanted to project and live a simple life. and this is a man who took the name we hear, st. francis. >> we have that confirmed now from vatican radio. he has taken francis. st. francis of assisi, someone

who was symbolized by the humble, give to the poor, take away all your riches, sends a strong signal. >> this may not be immediately clare to noncatholic audiences, but we should say how astonishing a choice it is to take the name of francis. it used to be thought no pope would call himself francis. >> here we are. take a watch. the curtains are opened. the cross bearer is coming out. and there he is.

♪ ♪

>> dear brothers and sisters, good evening. you know the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of rome and it seems to me that my brothers, cardinals, have chosen one who is from far away, but here i am. i would like to thank you for

your embrace, also to the roman catholic church and the bishops, thank you very much. and first and foremost, first and foremost i would like to offer to our bishop benedict xvi. let us pray all together for him so that he is blessed by the lord and guarded by the mother. our father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. amen. hail mary, full of grace, blessed are thou among women, and blesed eblessed is the fru womb, jesus. holy mother, mary of god, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. amen. the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. let us begin this journey togeth together, the people of this journey for the roman catholic

church, it is a journey of friendship, of love, of trust, and faith between us. let us pray always for one another, let us pray for the whole world because let us have

a big brotherhood. i wish that this journey for the church, that we are going to start today and my vicar cardinal is going to help me on this journey and bear fruit for the evangelizing of this beautiful city. i would like to offer you my blessing, but i would like to ask a favor first. first, before the bishop, bless the people, i would like to pray for the lord so that the prayers of the people blesses also the new pontiff. let us pray in silence your prayer to me.

>> the holy father francis, keep this blessing, to all of you present here and those who are listening to the radio, or watching him live on tv or through any media, he offers you his blessing. let us pray. almighty god, so that under the guise of the church and leader, grants peace to the church and the whole world. >> now my blessing to you, to the whole world, to all the men and women of the world.

[ speaking in latin ]

>> and may the blessing of all almighty god, the father, the son, and the holy spirit descend on you, and remain with you always. amen. one of

most famous lines attributed in the story, he went into a broken down church, looked at he heard from the crucifix, fu>'cis, rebuild my church.çó those are the famous linesymé@ associated with st.q francis. he thought it meant literally, urch.arted to rebuild theq 9 mean symbolic asxwell. >> speaking again. >> dear brothersq and sisters, i'd like5a to spread my gratit to yourjf embrace,çó pray for m

tomorrow i'm3w going to pray t the madonna!uxd so that she shs andi]e1 guides theñi whole --w3 >>çó the most evocative name -- >> and rebuildingw3 catholics. >> so whatç!"uz we know about h pope f&ncis will fill out that name? what do wew3 know about him on issues about how forward to be to stop abuse in the church, how forward thinking they have to bee1xd ab getting more fiscal responsibility in the

for an awful long time and has never been handling the crisis about the financial administration and further remember he provided over the church and peter during his massive economic crisis and won great credit for being a champion of the poor during that time. >> not a big indication of what flows through this man's heart and head is he asked before i pray for you as pope, i want you to pray for me and then had a moment of silence, which is somewhat unheard of. >> i think it is worth noting this pope, before he chose to speak, he chose to be silent.

i think that too is symbolic. just the five-minute introduction we had to this new leader of the catholic church, we have seen a precedent shattering choice, first pope from latin america, the first pope since the original, from outside the -- from outside europe. second, we have seen a precedent shattering name, the first pope to name himself after probably the most iconically beloved saint in the history of the church, st. francis of assisi, and a church that chose to listen to the voice of god and the voice of the people gathering in the square before he chose to speak. that's three for three in a sense, in terms of the new pope sending a signal that this is not going to be business as usual. >> that is the hope for 1.2 billion catholics the world over to be sure. anderson cooper is in the crowd in st. peter's square. anderson? >> huge amount of excitement here as you can imagine. there is really an extraordinary moment, i'm not sure how well it came across on television, but

just moments -- times of prayer, really the entire square is seen filing in. and was reciting prayers silently, some out loud. now the crowds are kind of dispersing, people are moving off. but a lot of people are lingering trying to savor this moment and reflect on what it means for the church, what it means for the church moving forward. i think so many people have come here on this evening, with different expectations, with different hopes, for what happens now. i want to talk to some folks who are in the crowd, where are you from? >> columbia. >> columbia. >> i live in italy. >> what you to make of this? >> very exciting for south americans. we have a south american pope. and he looks so natural, so easy. we are all friends. at the beginning we were all very excited to say who is that, from where? nobody expected him. but the pope. >> so when you heard argentina,

heard from south america, it is historic and somebody from colombia, tremendously excited. >> very important. >> what do you hope this means for the church? pope francis? >> stronger church. and they did name a pope in two days. we don't have a government in italy. the government is not able to do it, but the pope was able to do it in two days. >> you see a sign of change? >> i think it is going to change. he looks younger. he looks more human. >> for you to be here, what was it like? >> so exciting. so, so exciting. this will never happen in my life again. very excited. everybody was running all over the place here. >> how long were you here for? >> one hour. and then when he says pray for me, everybody went silent. >> i was just saying that, the

silence was really extraordinary. >> it was extraordinary. when he says, pray for me, he looked so easy. very happy. >> thank you very much. >> there you have it. very happy. not just people from latin america, from south america, but really italians, everybody who was here, and i think people feel very privileged to have witnessed this and certainly anybody watching at home. whether you are a member of this faith or not, it is a historic moment. something we have never seen before on so many different levels and so many different ways. and you can hear the bells ringing out on this really truly extraordinary night. >> all right, anderson. back in a little bit. i want to go to somebody we have, jose manuel rodriguez, a reporter from buenos aires, covered the cardinal, knows about him. can you hear me, jose? >> i can hear you perfectly. how are you doing?

>> beautiful, thank you for joining us. congratulations on having a pope from argentina. what can you tell us about pope francis? >> well, he was archbishop of buenos aires until last year, because he was 76 years ago, but the last pope to give a decision to maintain him until this event. he's a very humble person, according what we can know from the people surrounding him on the archbishop of bay nouenos a. he's a political guy, because, i mean, he has some issues with the government, because of the same sex law that was approved within the last year. second of all, he was, of

course, in opposition of the abortion. and, you know, this government passed a law of the -- so he has some confrontation with the government. and on top of that, some people criticize him because they say that he didn't do much for the violation of human rights, and the dictatorship in 1983. so, but on top of that, he is very well recognized by, you know, as a pastor, as a priest, you know, the head. our bishop in bay buenos aires. he has a very good relationship with the vatican as well. so a charismatic person, but as

i mentioned before, he has some political issues with this government, the current government. so we'll see what will be the reaction of the government when they have to express, you know, an opinion of what they think about his appointment as pope. >> okay. jose, thank you very much. good to meet you down there. i know you are reporting for cnn espanol. so thank you very much for the information about our pope. i want to go to jim bittermann, he is also in st. peter's square. jim, what is the mood like where you are and what do you think of pope francis will mean for the catholic church? >> well, one of the things that is interesting, for me, is the name francis. as john allen was saying, the significance of that, i think, for catholics around the world. there was an unbelievable reaction when he stepped out on the balcony, the kind of thing you already have been describing. but i thought i would bring into

the picture here, chris, a young seminary student, he's just about finished with his seminary studies, alejandro romero from mexico city, and alejandro, how important is this for you as someone from latin america, how do you feel about the idea of having someone from argentina now as your pope? >> well, i'm happy. i'm excited. for us, a south american person, it is kind of great lesson for us. it is kind of also a movement in the church, and i would say also it is -- they were looking for somebody and now somebody is coming, francis i. for me, i am very happy because he is my -- i would say my own language. he speaks spanish.

also italian. but for me, the main point is the language. he, just for me, he is going to be a prophet to us. >> what do you think of the name francis? does that say something to you? does it have a significance as a catholic? >> i think francis of assisi. he was a humble guy. this new pope, his name is francis. everybody loves his name. everybody will remember his name, a very short name. this name, everybody knows. everybody receives a blessing as we have received now. >> thank you very much, alejandro, from mexico city, young seminary student. back to you, chris. >> thank you so much, jim. jim covered the last conclave

where cardinal bergoglio supposedly finished second. and now he's here at this conclave and cardinal bergoglio becomes pope francis, first time we had a pope francis. what a period for south america. they have the olympics, they have the world cup, and now they have the pope. >> and let's point out, first major international travel in the new pope's schedule is likely to be where he's already planned, before the benedict's resignation, a visit to world youth day, which is kind of the woodstock of the catholic church, the gathering of the catholic youth from all over the world, which is scheduled for rio de janeiro in the summer. can you imagine the first pope from latin america making his first international trip to latin america, crowd of ecstatic 1 million plus young catholics. i think the greatest catholic party of the early 21st century is likely to roll out in rio. >> am i correct about something

else, another first here, this is the first jesuit pope. >> you're right about that. >> first jesuit pope. >> why that's amazing, the jesuits take a fourth vowel of allegiance to the pope. a special connection with the papacy. they have never had a jesuit pope before. >> mounted in the -- during the reaffirmation period by st. ignacious of loyola, known as the pope's shock troops over the years, the outset that the pope would send to the area's most dire in need. and a real can do group, cardinal bergoglio, pope francis, comes out of that community. >> here is the big measure. the big measure for all firsts and it is interesting and its detail is something that drives the fascination with this entire process, but at the end of the day, it will be where is pope francis on the issues that matter most, the accountability of the vatican, the issues about contraception and whether it is

women priests in the west or whether it is about just making sure that the abuse scandal is handled correctly everywhere, that will be how it defines them. however, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves and the analysis because this moment is about habemus papam, having a new pope. back down to the excitement where it is, and st. peter's square. becky anderson. can you hear me, becky? >> i can, absolutely. ewtn. >> becky, can you hear me? it's chris. >> i can. chris. can you hear us? >> what is it like there? >> i can. what do you have for us? >> it is a remarkable atmosphere. i'm with raymond arroyo from ewtn here. we were just discussing as people were walking past what this really means for the church. >> well, look, for the latins, this is such a moment. 46% of the church is in latin america, becky. and they were so

underrepresented, so many of these cardinal electors, the ones from latin america, argentina, colombia, mexico, throughout last week they told me, look, we need a pope who will respond and understand latin america is here, and this church must be addressed. this was clearly, if i had to guess, and i'm only guessing, the latin bloc here, those 19 voters, probably swang to bergoglio because he was an argentinean and yet he's got italian roots. he plays to the hometown crowd. >> people are streaming past us here. they were tens of thousands if not 100,000 or so people just behind us there at vatican city. those we have spoken to since they have been walking past have almost to man and woman said this is good news for the church. they like the idea, even though many of them actually didn't know who pope francis i actually was. >> right. well, francis i, first of all, the name is so evocative. people around the world love st. francis, the italians certainly

do. he resonates simplicity, humility and bergoglio is known for that in argentina. he lives in an apartment, doesn't live in a big fancy mansion or condo. people like that. he takes the bus to work. he's a very humble man of the people. he often spoke about social justice for the poor, and we need to rethink and think about how are we to distribute the many gifts we have been given? that will play well, not only in latin america, but in other parts of the world. >> one thing that a number of people said to me, though, as they walked past, is this, is he a reformer? >> that's the big question. you know, going into this conclave, cardinal after cardinal said someone has to restrain the vatican governance, the bureaucracy here. there is corruption. there is nepotism. a lot of it is italian society. so the question is this, can a man who is italian, even though he grew up in buenos aires, does he have the context and know how to restrain, if you will, this beast here on the outer fringes

of vatican city? we'll have to see. but depending on how that vote broke, becky, the italians might be betting that he's depending, the italians might be betting he is not a reformer. he is 76 years old. >> he had a strong voice as he was speaking for the first time. >> he did. >> it's interesting isn't it. i mean, people ask whether he is going to be a reformer. that is a question that will come out in the wash. >> we'll know. >> people walking past didn't necessarily know who he was. people within the church do. people say he came second in the last conclave. we don't know that for sure. >> well, there was a diary leaked in 2005 which suggested he was the runner-up and they were neck and neck. it was a horse race and cardinal ratzinger became benedict xvi. but look. he is certainly well regarded, respected, a humble man. the first jesuit to be a pope. now, that tells us something. though he fought and went

against the trends of the jesuit order, there is a liberal wing of the jesuit community. he resisted that. >> thank you very much indeed. it is fascinating stuff. people walking past very slowly, very respectfully now. as they ran earlier on up the street with this real sense of excitement and anticipation. i think people it is fair to say are satisfied, chris. >> all right. becky, what an experience we're living through. here the people are starting to stream out of st. peter's square. literally thousands coming past us, a very jubilant mood. the big question is what kind of pope is he going forward? let's get back to anderson cooper on the other side of st. peter's square from where becky was. >> yeah, chris. there are still a lot of people in the square. we have two people here from mexico. you're from mexico city. >> yes. >> where?

>> buenos aires. >> why did you want to be here? >> we thought it was a memorable moment in history. we happened to be lucky enough to be in rome for the announcement of the new pope and as the youth and catholic student and mexican i am overwhelmed with emotion at the fact we have a new pope that will represent that part of the nation. >> reporter: the first time the pope is not only from argentina but latin america. yes. that is something very exciting. i feel that mexico has been a country that has suffered a lot and so has a lot of latin america but it is a people that have always put a lot of trust in god and it is absolutely wonderful to have him represent our part of the world this time around. >> and for you? >> i am so excited. latin america is a very important area and now it is going to be totally represented here. i am so happy today. >> reporter: the name pope francis, what -- does it have a special meaning for you to hear the francis? >> yes.

no, it's -- everything is special for me. it's everything. >> reporter: how quickly did you come here? >> we were in our hotel which is maybe two blocks away and you could hear it on the street. you could feel the commotion. the people talking outside the window. we heard honking on the streets. and we knew. >> reporter: you knew something. >> we didn't have to turn on the tv. we knew. we ran over here and could hear people screaming and we were here right in time to see him come out on the balcony. it was a magical moment. >> reporter: you came to rome with your boyfriend for a very special reason. >> i did. we came here. my boyfriend is diagnosed with cancer back in august and he was barely able -- he had remission, completed his hundred-day period after the transplant, and this is kind of our pilgrimage to thank god for all the blessings we've had in our life and kind of put an end to that period in our life. >> and to celebrate he is doing well. >> he is doing extremely well. >> reporter: for you to be here together in this square. >> is a magical moment.

we had no idea we'd be here at such an important moment in history. we heard maybe two days before we were coming that the new pope, the conclave would be going on. to be able here and see the pope come out on the balcony was a wonderful moment. very fulfilling. >> reporter: were you able to get a good view of him? >> yes. it's the same view. i was here just on holidays so it just made my heart jump. >> reporter: it is one thing to see it on tv and entirely different to be here. describe if you can the atmosphere, the mood of people here. >> it's joyous. you feel the youth. that is something very beautiful about being here. so many young people are on the street and you feel the excitement and you hear that the youth has lost its religion but you will see it here. you walk around here and you feel the passion. you feel the love for the church. and it's truly wonderful to be in a city that has so much history.

>> reporter: what do you hope this means for the future of this church? >> i think there's been a lot of problems with people falling off the wayside with the churches right now but i think having a pope that will represent 40% of the catholic church, the majority of the catholic churches in latin america, will truly unite people. i hope he is able to speak to the youth. >> and to have a pope who speaks spanish, can speak in your language? >> yes. it is going to be great. it is going to be great. we have a lot -- we are really looking forward to what is going to happen in the church. it's going to help a lot. a latin american pope is going to help. it's going to reveal many things. and it's a new start. >> reporter: i am so glad you were both here for it. thank you so much for talking to us. thank you. wish you the best. jim, there are still an awful lot of people who do not want to

leave who are staying here very orderly, very happy. they want to just try to soak up this moment as much as possible. >> reporter: absolutely the case. in fact, they're still screaming out at st. peter's square. we're told people are packed in and the square can hold about a hundred thousand people. it must have been close to that tonight. all afternoon people were screaming and to see the results of the vote and when they saw the white smoke even more people streamed in. people were running down the street to get in here. now they're taking their time getting out. we've seen some celebrating going on. a bunch of brazilians went by a minute ago. people have somehow found bottles of wine here in italy. i don't know how that ever happened. and already into drinking a little bit. there is some dancing going on in the street so it's been quite a scene here. and of course the latin americans we talked to really are so enthused about this idea. i think anybody actually, i talked to a young man from camaroon who said the same

thing, you know, it is very important, a very important message for the church to say they're going out beyond europe, looking out into the areas of growth that you've been talking about where the church is really growing. sort of to pinpoint that growth and as john said, you know, this is really a leaning toward the group of cardinals who were so much in favor of more evangelization, more sort of getting the church's message out there, getting more masses to the masses because the church has been suffering especially in europe and latin america with sort of people turning out for the masses. also suffering from a lack of priests and of course latin america and as the developing world, the growth rate is best for priests. >> jim, thank you very