it should be noted assisi was never ordained as a priest.e voice of god came to him and ordered him to rebuild the church. and when i visited assisi, a town in italy, it was a spiritual experience. but i do not practice now. i am ecumenical, and i'm not alone. many people i know who were raised catholic no longer attend mass and many aren't raising their children catholic either whether because of the sex scandal, the views on women or homosexuality. the catholic church has a lot of issues, but it does a lot of good for a lot of people. the church helps the poor and the lonely. and i bet there are a lot of people who might return to the church if it changed. after tonight's celebrations are over, the question will be whether saint francis will be that change. at od, whatever business you're in, that's the business we're in with premium service like one of the best on-time delivery records and a low claims ratio, we do whatever it takes to make your business our business. od. helping the world keep promises.

it should be noted assisi was never ordained as a priest. saint francis claimed that the voice of god came to him and ordered him to rebuild the church. and when i visited assisi, a town in italy, it was a spiritual experience. but i do not practice now. i am ecumenical, and i'm not alone. many people i know who were raised catholic no longer attend mass and many aren't raising their children catholic either whether because of the sex scandal, the views on women or homosexuality. the catholic church has a lot of issues, but it does a lot of good for a lot of people. the church helps the poor and the lonely. and i bet there are a lot of people who might return to the church if it changed. after tonight's celebrations are over, the question will be whether saint francis will be that change. "anderson cooper 360" starts right now. >> erin, thanks very much. good evening, everyone. good morning from rome. the world has a new pope, as you know do in and out know by now. 1.2 billion catholics have a new leader and unlike many they have ever had. a

it should be noted assisi was never ordained as a priest. voice of god came to him and ordered him to rebuild the church. and when i visited assisi, a town in italy, it was a spiritual experience. but i do not practice now. i am ecumenical, and i'm not alone. many people i know who were raised catholic no longer attend mass and many aren't raising their children catholic either whether because of the sex scandal, the views on women or it's openness to other ideas like homosexuality. the catholic church has a lot of issues, but it does a lot of good for a lot of people. the church helps the poor and the lonely. and i bet there are a lot of people who might return to the church if it changed. after tonight's celebrations are over, the question will be will pope francis be that change? "piers morgan tonight" is next. ♪ ♪ twith blackberry hub10 and flick typing. built to keep you moving. see it in action at blackberry.com/z10. and his new boss told him two things -- cook what you love, and save your money. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work

francis of assini -- i'm sorry -- of assisi is the patron saint of italy.t pore ahead coming up >>> and, of course, there is still a lot more ahead coming up later today on "good morning america" in just a few hours. >>> well, also making news, more famous faces are popping up on this website at the center of that shocking scandal. new jersey governor chris christie and bill gates are the latest victims. the site reveals what appears to be their social security numbers and credit reports. an fbi investigation got under way this week when the first lady, vice president and a long list of other celebrities were targeted. >>> a pennsylvania mom is facing assault charges after forcing her 12-year-old daughter into a fistfight with another girl. michele davenport is seen here on cell phone video egging her daughter on, telling her to punch the girl in her face. her daughter herself ended up with a bloody nose and that girl suffered a concussion. davenport claims she was bullied by that other girl. >>> now we want to check out this video, which is going viral. it

there was some debate over it was francis of assisi, francis xavier but he said, it was in fact assisi, no other fact conveys poverty as well and a love for the poor and simple lifestyle as francis of assisi and popular among the italians, too. >> we'll see today -- we've seen already some faces of people from different countries and we'll see people from many different religions and, of course, the cardinals, but the two people from religious orders that he has invited to play a part in this mass are the superior general of the jesuits as you would expect and of the franciscans. so he is -- he has -- is honoring st. francis in a variety of ways here. >> as we talk about pope francis and his taking the name to be close to the poor and the people, what we're seeing in the pictures of the dignitaries is that the papacy is a very powerful position in this world, 1.2 billion catholics around the world. he's -- it is a position of enormous influence and sometimes diplomatic power, as well and so i just want to share with you a little bit of who is there for the united states, vice president

first to take the name francis after saint francis of assisi. this one made history quickly, as well. extraordinary scene in the square. this one made history pretty quickly. extraordinary scene in the square. the five rounds of voting, a decision. and as the white smoke rose, the crowd in st. peter's square erupted. the joy. this time, not tempered by mourning as it was eight years ago, because for the first time in 598 years, the previous pope is alive and well, retired, not deceased. as word got out, the crowd grew larger. people literally running to the square, romans and visitors, even people making airline connections, racing to the square. more than 150,000 in all, officials say. all eyes on that small balcony, waiting, watching, wondering who would emerge, a favorite cardinal scola of milan, perhaps. an american, cardinal o'malley of boston. a canadian pope, the first african-american? who would it be? the first answers by the cardinal taking the first step and uttering the traditional words. >> urbi et orbi. habemus papam. >> we announc

francis of assisi certainly gladdens the hearts of all franciscans.ne reason why everyone takes francis to their heart is because he is not perceived specifically as a catholic saint, he's not perceived as specifically belonging to christian people but he seems to be someone that appeals to all men and women regardless of their religious background or lack thereof. francis considers himself to be a brother to everyone. he found god's life not only in every man or women but in all creation so every living thing. and so he could preach to the birds and he could preach to the forest. he even found god in inanimate creation, the rocks and the fields, everything contained god therefore all of the environment is worthy of respect. he had his own very special vision that kind of launched him. he's praying in front of this icon, this icon cross in the chapel, in italian san damiano, but st. damians and suddenly says the icon, the figure of jesus speaks to him "francis, go and repair my church." francis left the city of assisi, goes out and put on the garb of

francis of assisi operated by the rules of the court. by this mean in a courtly life there was one king and a hundred courtiers. frachbs is francis of assisi was the courtier treating everybody else like kings and his story continues today in the lives of franciscans and these are wonderful men, the brown robes, and they have a special place in the world to remind us of the poor, francis, lord make me an instrument of your peace. francis of assisi is a great, great figure in the church but known especially for connecting with fellow christians and many people outside the christian family or household. i think cardinal bergoglio will explain this. he told us he is going to explain in the next few days and i'm sure in the meeting with journalists on saturday we'll get some insight as to why he chose the name of francis. >> it is a pretty impressive and shattering moment as our own john allen said. i think few people would have anticipated the name francis. is that correct, father? >> i think so. this is the first time we have a pope franci

francis of assisi.e is the first pope to take that name. he is also the first jesuit to become pope and the first pope from south america. francis is known for his advocacy on the part of the poor and for his humility. in argentina, he lived simply in a small apartment, often cooked for himself, and took the bus or subway every day instead of a chauffeured car. he is also a staunch social conservative, who strongly opposes abortion and protested vigorously against his country's legalization of same-sex marriage. this week, francis celebrated mass with the cardinals. earlier, he prayed at rome's basilica of santa maria maggiore, dedicated to the virgin mary. our managing editor kim lawton has this report from rome on the selection of the new pope. >> reporter: there were jubilant shouts in an array of languages as catholics from around the globe gathered in st. peter's square to meet their new pope. many here say electing pope francis has brought catholics together. >> we all operate in different countri

from td ameritrade. >>> pope francis chose his name from pope francis assisi.animals and for the poor. will it bring change when it comes to some of the devisive issues that many around the world focus on around the church, gay rights, celibacy. out front tonight is the communications director for opus day and mary johnson joins us. she was a nun for 20 years before leaving the church due to an affair she had with a fellow nun. they is now author of "an unquenchable thirst." let me start with you, mary. the pope has strongly opposed gay marriage in argentina, contraception argentina as we talked about earlier in the program. abortion, of course. does this worry you as someone who left the church due to social issues or do you think that some of the other things we heard about him are more important? >> i think that all of those an especially for catholics in the united states who are wanting to follow the church but have differences within their conscience as far as church teaching goes. i think it would be very important that the pope be open to considering ne

that is how in my heart came the name francis of assisi.e then greeted members of the press personally including abc's reporter. >> he was warm and relaxed. so i was bit taken aback by that he just said pray for me, pray for me in english. >> vatican released these pictures in a private moment and he stood silent in prayer before a statue of the ma done lords. he has shown sign that he is una i assuming man. he paid his own bill and left in a minivan. in his case the shoes of the fisherman are plain black, not the expensive red ones worn by pope benedict. they are set to meet on saturday. joe biden will leave the u.s. as pope francis is officially installed on the throne of st. peter. >> carolyn: right now negotiations are underway between the san francisco symphony and striking musicians. the labor dispute forced the symphony to cancel its concerted tonight, third such cancellation. musicians say they need more money living in the city. musicians and som phone any negotiated for 13 hours over the past couple of days but have not come up wi

the tip of the hat to the humble saint from assisi. patron of the poor.pleaser. >> what does it say about him right away? >> i say simplicity, purity, honesty, a simpler way of life. that the church should be simple. and i think, you know, he goes to work, i understand. >> reporter: all of it signaling the chart of a new chapter for the catholic church. >> hope to another country. >> reporter: like winning the world cup. >> right. >> reporter: as first impressions go, not bad at all. i'm david wright for "nightline" in rome. >> a great day for argentina, no doubt about it. thanks for that. and now for more reaction from the americas. my co-anchor cynthia mcfadden is at the anchor desk in new york. >> thank you. good evening, everyone. reactions here in the u.s. came from all over, including the white house where president obama welcomed pope francis saying in a statement, quote, alongside millions of hispanic americans, those of us in the united states share the joy of this historic day. for more we turn to my colleague, univision. >> nice to talk to you.

listen. >> francis of assisi and this pope, they are kindred spirits. he is a pope that is going to come in and look at a situation and say get back to basics. this is about the gospel. this is about what we are at our best. pastor came to meet his people and it was beautiful. then he took the microphone again and he didn't follow the book. thank god. >> we were talking this morning as well and showing up in his black clothes of a priest instead of wearing the white robes of the pope. also, sort of shifting tradition a little bit. where do you think that sort of idea of he's going a different direction could actually end up, i guess, expressing itself in how he leads the church? >> are you talking to me? >> yes, sir. do you want me to repeat the question. >> i'm so sorry. yes, no. the choice -- the choice of the name francis says a lot, as you -- it speaks about reform because of the history of the church and the status of francis of assisi at the time. he was never ordained a priest. he was only a deacon because he thought he was never worthy of that.

francis of assisi was very much for the poor.me rich and need to change. and he was also a bridge builder. reached out to other faiths. we know that is all true of bergoglio of argentina. the big question is whether that aspect of francis of assisi, patron saint of the environment, famous for talking to the animals, preaching to the birds. and the two seagulls that stood on the chimney before may have been there as a sign of saint francis was coming up in a way. we don't know yet, whether or not, as pope, this new pope will also take that aspect of saint francis into his pontificate. his predecessors did, they worked hard on updating the theology of the catholic church to be ready to face the environment crises, which are facing us in this new century. theology that says harming the environment is a sin because it is a sign of disrespect for man. we don't know if bergoglio will do that. >> what we heard about him runs the gamut, progressive, conservative, orthodox, what do we know about his personality and what he will bring to t

francis of assisi. he was born wealthy, but dedicated his life to the poor. he sent a signal the new pope was planning to walk. many hope it is a progressive approach. terry mcsweeney is live in san francisco. named after st. francis of assisi as well, terry. >> here in san francisco, as progressive a city as you're going to find. there's concern about pope francis. in the past he's taken a strong anti-gay marriage stance. never shown any interest in having women as priests. still, those with concerns are takes heart in the fact that he took the name francis, named after st. francis. catholicism's most beloved and passionate saint. >> hail mary, full of grace -- >> for the first time, the wednesday evening rosary was said with the namesake as pope. >> by choosing the name francis, the new pope may be signalling to us that he wants to see the church return to a more simple -- a more pristine understanding of the gospel. >> susan fox is a lifelong catholic and member of the women's order nation conference. which for decades has worked to bring some of the 600 m

francis of assisi. let me tell you a story. during the elections, i had next to me the archbishop emeritus of sao paulo, and also the emeritus prefect of the congregation for the clergy, claudio, a great friend. really a great friend. and when things were getting a bit dangerous he was comforting me. and when the vote went to two-thirds, well, you know, everybody was clapping hands, applauding, because we had a vote, and he hugged me, he gave me a kiss, and he said, "don't forget the poor." and that word got into my head. the poor. the poor. th then, right after, i thought of francis of assisi. then, i thought of wars. while the scrutiny was taking place up until all the votes were counted, and you know, francis is a man of peace. and so that child, that name came into my heart. francis of assisi. the men of poverty, of peace, the men who love and is the custodian of all things created. you know, we don't have such a good relationship now with everything that has been created by god. the spirit of pover

francis of assisi, who devoted himself to helping the poor. >> francis is a man of peace and that ishe name of francis of assisi. >> pope francis scheduled to meet with his predecessor, emeritus pope benedict xvith a week perfect today. >>> president obama is promoting a plan to put $200 million each year in an energy security trust to fund research to find alternatives to oil. >> scientists were designing new engine has were energy- efficient and developing cheaper batteries and devicing new ways it fuel our cars and trucks with sources of clean- energy. like advanced bifox news natural gas. so drivers can one day go coast- to-coast without using a drop oil. >> the president delivered his weekly address from the argonne nationallant in illinois. >>> some well-known g.o.p. political heavy hitters spoke today at the conservative political action conference, known as cpac. as christiana mutchler tells us one didn't pull my punches today. >> reporter: a conservative's whose w.h.o. who's-who today. doctor ben carsen fueled speculation he may be looking for a spot on the g.o.p. ticket. an

>> yes. >> and you were named after francis of assisi, as the new pope was. you feel about that? >> francis of assisi was, you know, right up there with the virgin mary because of the things that he stood for, his concern for the poor, environment. i mean, this guy was way ahead of his time. >> the pope tweeted true power is service. the pope must serve all people, especially the poor. that is his reputation, looking after the poor. what do you think of the new pope? >> i want to be optimistic. things that he said like all the other bishops about gay marriage and abortion, you know, they are just not in this century yet, but this man's approach is very different, and i -- i was thinking the other day that i remember back when gorbachev was named the new, you know, premier of the soefrkts an everybody said, ah, you know, he's from the politburo. he changed everything around. >> gives you hope and gives me hope. >> i would hope that this is the catholic church's gorbachev. >> right. >> that he will take this opportunity to turn things around. if you read some o

over here, the 12th=century saint francis of assisi. he is the patron saint of, among other things, animals, the environment and the city of san francisco. the new pope's choice of his name may be a sign of big changes at the vatican. he is very harmful. everybody knows that. he does not like to be full of himself. he has been outspoken opponent of abortion and same-sex marriage. new at eight, - latin american experts are weighing in on the first pope from that part of the world. as kron four's terisa estacio reports, some say the move is sending some key messages on the future of the church. >> i think this is very >> reporter: professor and director harley shaiken of the center for latin american studies at ucberkeley says at first he was surprised to hear the announcement of jorge bergolio of argentina as the next pope, but quickly realized the magnitude of this choice. it is symbolic for south america, bringing the church to an area that has lost many catholics. shaiken also says the fact that bergolio's first language is spanish al

and he named himself effectively after francis assisi, the great saint. no pope has done that before. how significant is that choice of name? >> reporter: totally significant. i brought the cover of the vatican newspaper, if you can see it. it's shocking, quite frankly. and i know for many people in the square, when we heard the name, we said, really, francis. okay. for one thing, pope francis is a jesuit. that means he is part of a religious order founded by saint ignatius of loyola, different order and different franciscan. the thing that struck me most in hearing the name francis is he didn't take the name of the past like paul, john, even john paul, for that matter. but that he went completely off the radar for the majority of us, that, is, and said i'm going my own way. and i think this is a pope who is going to do things a lot differently, including the very name francis, someone who loved the poor, someone who loved animals, a rather beloved figure. saint francis. >> i want to play a clip from cardinal dolan who i know you know well, and get your r

i'm sure most people think of francis of assisi, the little, poor man. that is the great inspiration, one of the great inspirations of bergoglio's own life. i think -- i say this half jokingly, but i think some of the cardinals will be afraid that he will wander through the vatican and start selling off the treasures. he is quite radical in his sense of the way the gospel is a gospel message to the poor and the downtrodden. i think that will be -- social justice and the cause of the poor will certainly be a highlight of his papacy. >> what does this choice tell you about the general direction in which the catholic church is now expected to go under his papacy? >> i think, particularly, the child abuse scandal, but also the vatican scandal, have confronted the cardinal and catholics like myself with the fact that the church, during the 20th century, really became very worriedly -- worldly. that a large number of people who could find them each for themselves where they could really betray the art in the principles of the faith and what christianity very -

francis of assisi. of assisi in the 13th century had a vision that jesus came to him and said to him, francis of assisi, rebuild my church. and in a sense, pope francis, that is his task and i think that is what he eluding to yesterday in the brief remarks he made. another significant factor that occurred yesterday was when he came out on the balance qon connco balcony, chose to begin with a moment of slept prayer. not a lecture but a moment of silent prayer. >> jon meachem, that was compelling for yesterday many in the crowds and many that follow the vatican. mike talks about the pageantry of the vatican and catholic church. yesterday when he went out standing above the crowds instead of blessing the crowds as popes have done for nearly two centuries, he began his papacy to bless him and pray promise. not only was that a change from the past, he also -- the way he lived. in argentina, he is a matthew xxv. >> you have these men of god who represent and believe they are these successors of one of the mos

new >> reporter: one thought about the story of frances of assisi. >> christ said francis, go and rebuild my church. i thought of that yesterday when they said his name is francis, he is here to renew the church. >> reporter: another thought about the message of the gospel. >> think about it, jesus walked among the people and came to die for all of us including everybody, rich to poor. all. >> pope francis wants to communicate and wants us to share with the news. >> reporter: vatican city, rome. >> joining us is dr. cornelius becker. a professor at regent university. dr. becker this is someone wout side europe for the first time. the church is growing the fastest, danger do you think that played a role? >> it was quite a surprise. one of the most important things to remember, they those somebody not living in the vatican. they chose an outsider. this is the opportunity to reenergize the faithful in europe and south america. >> reporter: as chris mitchell pointed out, they chose a man that has a simple life style. we asked luis palou for his impression? >> he is a great friend of the evang

francis of assisi showed us.h of god's creatures and respecting the environment which we live. it means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need who are often the last we think about. it means caring for one another in our families. husbands and wives first protect one another. then as parents, they care for their children. and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. it means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect and goodness. in the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection and all of us are responsible for it. be protectors of god's gifts. when ever human beings fail to live up to this responsibibilir fail to care for our brothers and sisters, we are open to destruction and hearts are hardened. tragically, in every period of history, there are her rods who plot death, wreak havoc and mar the confidence of men and women. please, i would like to ask all those who have positi

francis of assisi, one of the most beloved of all time. that's a ballsy move, it's like going with the name pope kitten falling asleep. [laughter] pope franky has waste nod time. our pope now no longer looks like he is out to crush the rebel alliance. [cheers and applause] but as much -- [cheers and applause] -- as much as i like the new pontiff, i may he may be going too faf with his message of pope and change. [laughter] >> setting a tone for a humbler, simpler paip cinch he dreams of a church on the side of the poor. >> he refused to sit on a thrown to accept oath of allegiance but stood on the same level. >> pope francis shocked a newspaper stand when he personally called to cancel his subscription. >> he is a guy who rides the bus. >> pope francis doesn't want the limo or the fancy red shoes. >> even his shoes, regular black ones, not the expensive leather red shoes pope benedict favored. >> stephen: wait a second, no red shoes? that's -- sacrilege. now the fleet of flying monkeys will make no sense. the church to be poor? that's not

one is saint francis of assisi who gave up his wealth and dedicated his life to helping the poor. he saw his calling as an effort to rebuild the church. and then there was francis xavier, a spaniard who was a founding figure of the jesuit order. the same one to which the pope belongs. the vatican says francis will celebrate his first mass as pope in the sistine chapel tomorrow. >> catherine: extra police will patrol an east bay high school for the rest of the week. that's after someone wrote a threat to shoot students. the disturbing message was found tuesday on the wall of a girls bathroom at foothill high school. officials think it was written by one of the female students. the message says it says"i hate everyone at this school. watch me shoot everyone on march 14th." >> to watch that if they are going to make a threat we are going to be here. we want here to be here for the students >> extra police will patrol on and around the campus. school officials say the message may be a cry for help. they want the person who wrote it to come forward. anyone with information can contact

poor, i'veof the often thought of francis of assisi. he is a man of peace. >> cigarettes and alcohol are enjoyed by many russians, there are some changes on the way. the president is banning smoking in the public and hacking taxes on drink. there are concerns the changes could have dangerous consequences. a cornerstone of life in russia, the average russian drinks 18 leaders of a bobcat each year. vodkaders of -- liters of each year. the president is waging war on the two vices with surprising support. >> if the numbers of places they can smoke is reduced, more people will consider quitting. >> if the next generation is not healthy, there is no future for our country. >> a new law banning cigarettes sales from kiosks will take effect on the first of june. next year, it will extend to restaurants and bars. spirits are being taxed by an extra 30% and drinking in public places is not illegal. some are defined. >> those who drink will continue to drink. >> bars like this are having to pass on the extra cost of the alcohol taxes to their cus

francis of assisi will get of his wealth and dedicated his life to helping the poor.s calling as an effort to rebuild the church. >> and then there was francis xavier, a spaniard was founding figure of the gentle water. the same one to which the pope belongs. >> the vatican says francis will celebrate his first mass as pulp and the sistine chapel later today. >> vice president joe biden is headed to rome. the vice president is going to lead the u.s. delegation when told france's is officially installed as pope. no official date for the insulation yet, but the vatican says it is a good hypothesis that next tuesday will be the day. >> biden is the first catholic to be elected vice president. >> pleasanton high school on high alert this morning after a threat to shoot students at the school. today. >> to get you more faster we turn to mike pelton he has been following the story. >> mike yesterday's it came to light that there was a warning that will scrawl on the bathroom what? >> yes that is right in the girls' bathroom here at foothill high school the school is open to

francis of assisi. >> what would be the significance? >> st.rancis 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

francis of assisi, the 13th century friar who helped the poor. he will be installed next tuesday. >>> san francisco is named after st. francis. [bells] the bells rang at st. mary's cathedral to signify the election of a new pope. bay area catholics say they are excited about the choice. they like his humble background, he rode the bus to, would, cooked his own meals and visited slums of argentina. >> he is in the true jesuit tradition a man of great intellect, living a simple lifestyle with great devotion. >> the san jose diocese will hold a thanksgiving mass sunday. >>> he faces tasks including improving image. coming up, the work ahead for the new pope francis. >>> in overnight news a 4-point earthquake shook sonoma county just after 2 a.m. northeast of healdsberg. it does not appear a lot of people felt it. the sheriff's office only took two calls and there are no reports of damage. >>> deputies arrested a man who tried to escape by swimming the oakland estuary last night. deputies spotted a stolen car in the parking lot of the oakland aquatic

. >> talking of the poor, i have often thought of francis of assisi. then i thought of war where the scrutiny was going on. and francis is a man of peace and that's in my heart how came the name francis of assisi. >> reporter: tomorrow the new pontiff will give his first sunday angelus, blessing in st. peter's square and tuesday insulation mass headed by heads of state, u.s. delegation led by vice-president joe biden and meeting with his predecessor, pope benedict xvi at the papal palace, castle gandolfo. >> uma: that should be a meeting, indeed. what i wouldn't give to be there and you, i'm sure. reporting from a beautiful setting out there at sunset at the vatican. thank you for the report. north korea reportedly test fires a pair of missiles. we'll take a look what may have triggered the latest round of testing and if the u.s. is responding. plus, who will be the future of the republican party? our conservative commentator ann coulter right after this break. you don't want to miss that. stay with us. we'll be right back. dad, i'd put that down. ah.

francis of assisi was called the little poor man.the name pran sis reaches out to the franciscan spirituality and pope benedict was a very simple man also. he didn't put on airs. he took off the tiara from the coat of arms. so the church is trying to down play a little bit the pomp and circumstance and come back to the people. that's what's happening here. >> were you as surprised as the rest of us monsignor? >> i was shocked. i was shocked about pope benedict retiring and pope francis became our pope. but really happy. as soon as he walked out on the stage, out on the balcony last night and just how humble he was, simple, his simple, very beautiful. >> monsignor, from the north american college, and robert moynahan. we'll be looking for your book when? >> i've got 13 days to go. >> thank you both for coming here. >>> the tweet of the day from bbc. cardinal bergoglio wakes up his first day as pope francis, hard to imagine a more rapid or enormous change. morning, brian! love your passat! um. listen, gary. i bought the last one. nice

francis of assisi. because that name is over well known among catholics, it is a real sign he intends to concentrate on the poor and call to us work with the poor and call to us live simply as well. so i think they say the biggest decision of the first pope is his name. he made a big decision. >> archbishop jose gomez of los angeles has talked extensively about the important role that hispanic catholics have played in the founding of the country and in playing witness to american spirituality. and he has called for a resurgence. do you think that pope francis will galvanize hispanic catholics here in this country for whom maybe some of their faiths may be waning? >> i think he has. there's nothing to compare with a pope who speaks your language and speaks it fluently. i think something like 40% to 50% of american catholics are now hispanic. you look at someone like archbishop gomez who is the arch bishop of the largest catholic diocese and he is an hispanic person. i think the fact that you have a pope

. >> talking of the poor, i have often thought of assisi. thought of wars, while the scrutiny watts going on. francis is a man of peace. that's how the name came francis of assisi. >> tomorrow he will give his first angleus. then on tuesday, the installation mass attended by several heads of state, including a u.s. delegation led by vice president joe biden. and then next saturday, the expected meeting with his predecessor, emeritus, pope benedict xvi in castle gandolfo. >> harris: thank you very much. now we got that in the right spot. some people ordered to evacuate because of a wildfire in colorado. now beginning to go back home. the flames burning up nearly 1,000-acres of land near fort collins, 60 miles north of denver. yesterday's record high temperatures, strong winds fueling the flames finally started to ease. even though the fire is only 5% contained, crews say the wildfire has not spread any farther into residential areas. that is a relief. so far no homes destroyed. great work by those firefighters >>> our nation's veterans fearin

not only did he take his name of francis of assisi, but san francisco's former bishop was one of 115 cardinals who selected the pope. >> just as every cardinal brought the perspective of the part of the world he came from, he would have brought the perspective of people here in the bay area. >> reporter: while it caught most by surprise, many hope it signals change for a church that's been wrestling with challenges, including a shortage of priests and a sexual abuse crisis. >> let's hope that we can have some changes and the american catholic church is very different than the rest of the world. so i think it's quite important that everyone be listened to. >> for latino catholics, we see it as a triumph. but with the triumph comes the cross. >> reporter: st. mary's cathedral will hold a special noon mass tomorrow to celebrate the new pope. that mass will be officiated by the archbishop of san francisco. again, it will take place right here tomorrow at noon. reporting live in san francisco, i'm jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. >> thanks, jodi. we have a complete section on our websit

tonight, choosing to become pope francis, he takes the name of 13th century preacher saint francis assisiho lived a life of poverty. no surprise to those who know him. >> you can see the humility of the man. you can see the calm of the man. i can tell you, i know the strength of the man and the compassion of the man. >> reporter: his election sparked excitement in latin america both out of cultural pride and the recognition of the growing importance and influence of that part of the world. >> bergoglio brings latin america to rome and to the world. >> reporter: his papacy is expected to reflect his sense of strong social justice. he's also expected to bring along a strong management style. >> lester holt, part of our team at the vatican as well. lester, thanks for that. we want to bring back in a man we just saw, our nbc vatican analyst george weigel. journalist, papal biographer. he's provided analysis throughout the day. george, i have been quoting your phrase that this is a hingepoint for the catholic church. just yesterday word of the $10 million settlement in l.a. lives have been rui

francis of assisi. he said for all those who have responsibility, and we take that to mean the kings and the sovereigns and the heads of state assembled in front of him here at st. peter's, then it is important that they are the protectors of creation. joining me to discuss some of those teams is a former italian senator. you followed -- we followed together this mass very closely. looking at those themes, what do you think the pope was trying to say? his message was quite explicit. >> it was his number one policy issue number environment, which was very striking. because he chose to say so repeatedly. then the taking care. arertheme was joseph, the of his time. it was also a very conciliatory approach. he said this applies beyond christianity. that was very inclusive for all religious leaders from other faiths who were the gathered there. it was a very interesting premise to his papacy. isat the moment the pope inside st. peter's, receiving dignitaries from around the world. and thetical leaders sovere

francis of assisi an italian preach to gave life to work with the poor. you soon, i'm arthel nevil. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> eric: turns out green may not be see clean. amount of co two when manufacturing and electric vehicle is more than double the amount when making a gas powered car. depending on how many miles it is driven it may never make up the difference. jonathan, this comes after the the calls for more than $2 billion in green investments. is he kidding? >> these reports demonstrated once again the inherent corruption of the green movement of the environmental movement. electric car creates more co2 but we saw the same thing with ethanol. that was previous technology that the greens were pushing. that made more co2 and we spent billions of dollars subsidized. it goes to what the green movement is about. it's hurting man. it's not protecting nature. just the audacity of government to force you to taxing you to pay for it that doesn't work and is of no help you to? if that is not suicidal i don't know what is. >> eric: we found out mr. fistor took $529 million of

francis of assisi, a man of poverty and peace, and took his name. he said he wants a poor church and a church for the poor. father bob barron says this is a shift in emphasis. >> will we get rid of st. peter's a basilica? no, but i think we might put a stress on the outreach to the poor, our own humility in presenting ourselves. >> reporter: these three seminarians are studying at the pontifical north american college. chris kirsch, who worked in government. former musician jared twenty. and deacon jeff walker. he joined the cemetery in college and will be ordained in june. why did you want to become a priest in an era when the priesthood has been under siege? >> god works through all sorts of different circumstances. that he's maybe using my vocation and our vocation to bring healing to a world that desperately needs it. >> my hope in all of those interactions that i have with people is to improve their view and their -- for it to be humanized for them. >> reporter: can you make the priesthood better? >> i think you see in the three of us, you see

like saint francis of assisi whose name he took, the pope's first acts were signs of humility. choosing to ride the bus with the other cardinals instead of the papal limousine. keeping the iron cross he wore in argentina. returning to this religious guest house today to pick up his bags and pay his bill. small gestures that may signal bigger changes ahead. >> he can make the changes needed because he knows from his own experience in buenos aires what has been missing here in rome. >> reporter: today, francis focused on winning the hearts of romans. going to a basilica dedicated to christ's mother, the virgin mary, considered to be a protector of rome. this souvenir shop near the vatican quickly switched allegiances, quickly selling out of 6,000 photos of the new pope. embracing a more humble image in this regal setting. anne thompson, nbc news, the vatican. >>> i'm miguel almaguer in buenos aires. at an afternoon mass inside the city's main cathedral, the faithful pray for the man who once led their church and will now lead the catholic world. when he was cardinal here, pope fr

francis of assisi, the 13th century friar who helped the poor. he will be installed next tuesday. >>> san francisco is named after st. francis. [bells] the bells rang at st. mary's cathedral to signify the election of a new pope. bay area catholics say they are excited about the choice. they like his humble background, he rode the bus to, would, cooked his own meals and visited slums of argentina. >> he is in the true jesuit tradition a man of great intellect, living a simple lifestyle with great devotion. >> the san jose diocese will hold a thanksgiving mass sunday. >>> he faces tasks including improving image. coming up, the work ahead for the new pope francis. >>> in overnight news a 4-point earthquake shook sonoma county just after 2 a.m. northeast of healdsberg. it does not appear a lot of people felt it. the sheriff's office only took two calls and there are no reports of damage. >>> deputies arrested a man who tried to escape by swimming the oakland estuary last night. deputies spotted a stolen car in the parking lot of the oakland aquatic