president obama offered warm wishes to pope francis i. he said i look forward to working with him to advance peace, security and dignity, regardless of faith. >>> we are learning the pope francis i is scheduled to meet with pope benedict xvi tomorrow. the meeting will take place that papal retreat south of rome. the news of the meeting was over heard from pope francis i himself. and we have more coverage of the new pope at 5:30 p.m., live to rome where tens of thousands gathered. plus the catholic church is still facing many challenges. experts tell us how pope francis i can turn the page on the sex abuse scandal. >>> a driver died in a crash on highway 101 at 2:14 a.m. the chp said the driver drifted into had center divide, over corrected and ended up in a ditch. three passengers suffered injuries. they have not released the name of the woman. >>> barbara boxer questioned whether the military made an error when the u.s. military dropped rape charges. jeremy goulet was a pilot in hawaii when he was court- martialed on rape. but the charges

francis i. in a series of reports, we know the conclaves are supposed to be secret, he had been widely mentioned as essentially the runner up to pope benedict. he was someone who quietly was making his mark on the church. as you mentioned, martin, he was someone who got great respect because of the very quiet and simple way that he lived. and the way he lived his belief in ministering to the poor. in being humble. he is someone who is very well liked. very well known. it's also interesting that out of that last conclave, some documents that leaked said that as the vote was being taken and he looked up at that magnificent painting in the sistine chapel of the last judgment, at least one cardinal thought he was looking at it and saying, please, god, don't do this to me. he is a very humble man. and yet a very warm man. and certainly we are seeing celebrations throughout latin america, in churches across the world, where this growing population is really so enthusiastic about this church. and a man

he has taken the papal name, i believe, of francis. which would be the first pope who has taken the name, frances. >> i was just going to say, he is from argentina, 76 years old but the fact he is from argentina is extraordinary. >> yes. >> you have to understand the history that is being made here. 42% of the world's catholics now come from latin-america. he did come in by a lot of reports second to joseph rattes rattsinger. he was 76 years old and many believed he was too old. he was not taken seriously. this is an extraordinary moment throughout latin-america. you can only imagine the reaction going on there. this is a part of the world where the catholic church has been growing. where vocations have been growing. and they are getting ready to unferl and liz, this is your area of history. this beautiful papal banner. >> yes. however, the papal banner does not yet have a coat of arms. this is for the brand new pope, we are just seeing him for the first time. this is frances i. then the next time the manner can comes out the new pope w

for francis i, if i were him, i would be on my knees a lot in these first days. first thing he did. he went to visit a church and to pray and ask for heavenly grace to help him in his had you mission. >> when you say the weight of the world on your shoulders, it's almost unfathomable. our friend george weigel talked about this sort of thing, a tipping point in the church. we're moving in so many areas that need attention. the pressure must be enormous. >> i always think when there's final thoughts and standing in front of st. peter's, and i think of st. peter. i think jesus told him what the job description was. you used to get up and do your own thing. now others will bind you and you will go where you do not want to go. peter's job ended crucified upside down in back of us. the job perks don't look very good. this incredibly prayerful, brave and courage us man who is taking a job that many times is thankless but approached it yesterday with serenity and offered hope to the world. what a great beginning. >> one of the great things about pope john paul ii was his

catholics greeted the election of pope francis i with bells and in new york's st.rick's cathedral, applause. at our lady of angels in los angeles the announcement was made in english and spanish. this latin american pope could help reach out to u.s. hispanics. 54% of whom identified as catholic in a recent gallup poll. >> latinos in the united states feel extremely proud this day. they see this man as a person that modernized the church in argentina and did so with a firm hand. they expect he will do the same right now from the vatican. >> reporter: a sentiment also expressed in miami. >> it's wonderful that we finally have a pope that can represent, you know, a large piece of community, the latinos and, you know, a lot of people who need the support. >> reporter: others voiced hope the new pope can reach out to disenchanted church members here in the united states. >> i'm rehema ellis at st. patrick's cathedral in new york where american catholics are excited, saying they hope the new pope will help repair the church and relate to a younger generation of catholics

he is now pope francis i. if sean o'malley had become pope today the archbishop of boston, we were thinking, at least the speculation was, that he would also call himself francis. >> yes. i spoke to some intimates of the cardinal and at the time they were saying, boy, if he makes it to the throne he will surely call himself francis and, unfortunately, the name has already been taken. we'll see what happens. but it bespeaks the same humility people saw in cardinal o'malley. certainly this man francis i has that humility, the simplicity that i think they were looking for. >> now, we spoke to lots and lots of people, wolf, as they streamed past. many of them said they thought this was good for the church, particularly because this man is from latin america originally with italian roots but one thing we were talking about and some people had a question mark over was whether this man would be a reformer. >> we just don't know at this point. look, he strives the balance between the moderates and the traditionalists i

his name is francis i. give us a summary of what we have just seen. >> there were a few surprises for me in what we have just seen. every pope stages, to a certain extent, this first appearance a little differently. francis i appeared to be in a white cassock -- appeared simply in a white cassock. the fact that he was not wearing the pallium -- that is the sign of his papacy in the liturgical sense. it was a very humble appearance. i thought it was interesting in comparison to recent popes who usually, with both hands, even joseph ratzinger, accepting the greeting from the crowd. he stood there with his hands at the side, almost helplessly. i don't think helplessly at all. a man with extraordinary authenticity. for me at least, i don't know whether you also had the impression, there was something very touching about his first speech, first of all addressed to the romans, because he is bishop of rome, talking to the people in his own diocese, the diocese of rome.

during these last 500 years, again, the jesuits in some sense have lost their mission but pope francis i has remained very true to that mission. i think we will see a man who wants sincerely to do what ignatius did: bring good news and joy, especially to those who are suffering. >> rose: does he reremind you of pope john paul ii at small >> he does, pope john paul ii in his humility. even more so, charlie, he reminds me of john the 23rd. his line was that the reform of the church would come from the poor. and john the 23rd really loved the people and was called a good pope, a papa buono. when pope francis stood at that balcony, that came to my mind here we have another john 23rd, also elected at an old age, 78, many thought he was a transitional pope but he called a council that was to bring -- reform into the church and into the world. >> rose: there is also the question at this time about the doctrinal issues: women, celibacy the and others. divorce. do you think that's part of his thinking or does he simply say i am with the teachings i have that suspected from john paul and pope bene

he will be known as pope francis i. the crowd in st. peter's square rejoiced as he was introduced to the world for the first time. an electrifying moment. not only will he be the spiritual leader of the world's one billion or so roman catholic, he will also have to lead in a lot of other ways. mary thompson is here to explain. what will pope francis i have to bring to the table in terms of management skills, the skills of a ceo? >> that's right. you know, i spoke to dr. james o'ro o'roerk at the university of notre dame and he said there are four things he must have. first of all, a strategic vision. what does he need to change within the papacy. second of all and probably most important is he needs team-building skills. anyone will tell you if they spent time at the vatican, it's not the friendliest place. there are a lot of people that are very ambitious, they have their own agenda, one they sometimes put ahead of the holy see. so he needs to build a team and say we're here to do this for the people, for the vatican, put aside your in

he has taken the name pope francis i, and here now are other names he could have selected.umber ten, kim jong-pope. nope, nope. number nine, pope john bush. pope "the situation" sorrentino. number two, spongebob pope hat. and number one, francis ford popala. >> good morning, i'm bill karins. this is "way too early," the show that has been inspired by pope francis's past sacrifices. we are also giving up our chauffeurs, chefs and luxurious sleeping quarters. so far, an easy transition since we never had any of those in the first place. thanks for being up with us this thursday, march 13th. we have a lot to talk about, including new signs from president obama that his outreach to republicans may be coming up short. we'll show you his surprising comments on the ryan budget plan, straight ahead. >>> plus, the real-life action hero vladimir putin teams up with the fake action hero steven seagal for a photo op to remember. >>> first, our top story here at 5:30 a.m. in new york city. so much of what lies ahead for the catholic church now rests on the shoulders of pope francis. the

the very characteristics that really flow from his name of francis -- i mean, calling himself francisery much indicates an agenda, which i'm sure we will see him follow. and i think people are very excited at the prospect. >> i've got a statement here from the white house, that says on behalf of the american people, michelle and i offer warm wishes to pope francis as he begins his papacy. as a champion of the poor, he carries forth a message of love and compassion and has inspired the world for more than 2,000 years. in each other we see the face of god. as the first pope from the americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that increasingly shaping our world, alongside millions of hispanic americans, those of us in the united states share the joy of this historic day. let me come to you, professor. it's a big day. i mean, for the first latin-american pope in over 2,000 years, you can see the reaction in buenos aires. this is a hugely catholic part of the world that now has their own man as a pope. tell me about the historical significance of what's ha

what is your immediate gut reaction to this appointment of pope francis? >> well, ihe fact that he became pope francis is extraordinarily important. this is a man who has given up his palace, he has given up his car. he cooks his own dinners in buenos aires. he rides the bus. he has explicitly identified with the poor. and i think he's going to be a wonderful challenge for all of us. he's going to challenge us to think about what is our obligation to the poor. what is our obligation to those who are dispossessed. and i just think from the very moment that he chose to be pope francis, he sent a signal of really being prepared to take on everybody, not in an aggressive, hostile way, but in a manner of insisting on extending christ's love to every person on the planet. so i think it's going to be a very, very interesting and very spiritually challenging papacy. and i'm looking forward very much to seeing how he lives this out. and, of course, being a latin american, he really extends the identity of the church beyond europe. for the first time in almost 2,000 years. and

francis? mike? every time i mail to teddy, francis greeted me with a friendly... ♪ wee, wee, wee-wee, wee, boop-doop-doop. ♪ something like that. what do i do? teddy's gonna kill me for killing francis. you got to tell him. a guinea pig. what is it? anyway, i'm dennis. thank you guys. that was beautiful. bob, do you want to say anything? yes. uh, francis was a great animal. she went through her life with such poise... i can't do this. teddy, i killed francis. what?! i-i didn't even know i did it! i couldn't feel her underneath this stupid fat suit that you made me wear! oh. oh. (squeaking) oh! oh, god. damn it. (squeaking) you could have been summer frankenstein. summer frankenstein wasn't good enough for you. i'm really sorry, teddy. she gave me the best 14 years of my life. wait. she was 14 years old? how long do they usually live? i don't know. three to five years. uh, she was a 154 in guinea pig years. uh, you probably shouldn't have painted her black and orange, man. yeah, she got real dizzy. she kept tryin

parisheners to the cathedral to pray while others gathered around an ipad anxiously watching as pope francis i made his first appearance. >> i was extremely anxious to see the new pope. and i was hoping it would be a latineo american. >> reporter: he is the first pope from south america and the first jesuit. latin american studies professor says he couldn't be more thrilled. >> it is one of the most proud latino americans, probably the most celebrated news in this century. >> reporter: san francisco's archbishop says the bay area shares several connections to the new pope. former san francisco archbishop cardinal was one of 115 cardinals who chose the new pope bringing a bay area perspective to the process. plus pope francis chose san francisco's namesake as his own. >> what a great honor for us the city that bears the name of saint francis. it heightened that sense of connection. >> reporter: bay area catholics say they hope pope francis will bring change to a church that is facing tough challenges including the sexual abuse crisis and a priest shortage. >> it is the pope but he is a human be

the simple act of pope francis i did catch everyone off guard. >> right after the break, a reminiscent of the cold war era. what has the white house building um missile defense on the west coast. >>> the united states is bolstering its defense system. the pentagon will spend a billion dollars to deploy the additional interceptors in alaska. officials want to act soon because they do believe that north korea is further along in its nuclear program than first thought and that north korean leader is engaging in more threatening acts. it will take us three years to install that missile defense system. >> two russian koz mo naughts are safely back on earth after five months in orbit. they landed in kaz ak stan at exactly 8:11 p.m. tonight. they were supposed to arrive back at earth yesterday, but freezing weather and fog traveled nearly 61 million miles. >>> well, is it bad blood or just a friendly, bay-area robbery? while the silicon valley is still the gold standard, some other local cities are gaining ground. here is kimberly perry from oakland. >> reporter: and the program director of d

as of today, he is pope francis, francis i. this is different this time around not only because this is the first south american pope and the first jesuit pope, this is also different because of the very special circumstances that ended the reign of the last pope. the last pope is still around. pope benedict is now pope emeritus. because he ended in resignation not death, it has not happened in 600 years. the former pope will be around and living on the grounds of the vatican as the new pope takes over. we have the retired pope, pope benedict and the new pope, pope francis. much more on the new pope and what we know of his history and what it means for the church and the politics of the church this hour. that, of course, is the big world news story today. domestically, the big news story is the big political news that just happened here on this network. >> what is your name and what are you all about? >> my name is scott prouty. i'm a regular guy, middle class, hard working guy. you know, i think i would like to think i have a

francis i. i like him already. we're going to have a big tussle here, by the way, later in this half hour by a pair of political heavyweights, robert gibbs for the dems and steve schmidt for the republicans. but let's start with the politics and drama of the stunning election in the vatican. my guests are mike barnicle and george weigel, nbc news vatican analyst. i want to start with mike. as a fellow american generalist and a catholic, what is your -- how surprised were you by picking this guy known for social justice and for humility and for really looking out for the little people to use the phrase we often use? >> well, you know, chris, i was -- i was actually stunned by two things. and one i had forgotten. i had forgotten about the theater of the church. the explosion of people in st. peter's square. the universality of the church. the fact that not everyone in st. peter's square was catholic. and the fact that the curia, college of cardinals, selected a jesuit as our next pope to me was very surprising. and v

i like the fact he took francis. in the mailed ages, saint francis said to the pope we need to reform the church. if this church is in need of anything, it's serious reform. for him to take that name is a statement that says he knows we need to change. you were speaking about the moral changes. i don't think the teachings will change but the way you package something matters a lot, as you know. and i think this pope will give a very human face, a compassionate face, to teachings that's not always's to take but true teaching. i think he'll stay loyal to the teaching but a more humannen face. >> neil: if you forgive my typical media shallow-type question. even those who loved him and marveled at his career in argentina, if you will, didn't give him high marks on charisma or high marks on stunning sermons, just knock your socks off or homilies that you never forget. in reading what he said and in grabbing the magnitude of what he said, and the moments when he chose to say it, like when argentina legalized contraception.

she is expected to join vice president biden and a handful of colleagues in rome as pope francis i is installed. john boehner selected the congressional delegation. boehner said he could not attend because of the budget debate. the vatican defended pope francis i from accusations that he knew of human right abuses and didn't do enough to stop him. when he was head of the jesuit order he failed to protect two priest who's were kidnapped and . the vatican spokesman said there's never been a credible accusation. >>> the social network has pros and cons for job seekers. 169 were unemployed. the people who talked more with close family and friends were twice as likely to find a job in three months. but the study found that stress levels increased when close friends and family would ask, how's your job search going. >>> he's like the presteeningous like. why it's a vote of confidence. >>> something we associate with animals. the diseases that blamed for a man's death. . >>> mark zuckerberg is popular among his employers, named ceo of the year. the web site asked employees if they approve or

i implore the procession of virgin mary st. joseph, saint peter paul, st. francisany my ministry. and i ask all of you to pray for me. amen. (applause) >> reminding us all to be tender and caring, reminding us to be protectors of others to serve the poor, the weak, the hungry and thirsty. in the end pope francis at his inaugural mass asking us all to pray for him. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> let us raise our prayer to him for the needs of the church and our world. (speaking foreign language) >> let us pray for frantis our pope may mighty god by his grace watch over him in his ministry as the successor of the apostle peter and pastor of the universal church. let us pray to the lord. lord, hear our prayer. ♪ >> let us pray for our government leaders. may almighty god by his wisdom enlighten their minds and help him build the salvation of love. let us pray to the lord. lord hear our prayers. >> may almighty god by his providence grant them refreshment comfort and hope not least through the love of their brothers and sisters. let us pray to the lord. ♪ lord hear our prayer. >> almigh

speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >>> there we have our first look at pope francis i. the 76-year-old cardinal from buenos aires, who offered the traditional blessing of the faithful and, mary thompson, i don't speak italian, i don't think you do either, but you don't have to to see a man, the body language showed a man who's already pretty comfortable in his new position. >> he certainly is. you know, he is also a pope of firsts. pope francis i, taking the name, i'm assuming, of st. francis of assisi. cardinal bergoglio is from argentina. the first non-european pope since 741. he's also the first jesuit. he has a degree in chemistry. but what he's known for in argentina is basically his very humble ways. he basically does not embrace the trappings that come with being an archbishop, preferring to live simply. but he also has, evidently, a powerful intellect, and he was indeed, according to some, the second runner up to pope ben dick in the last conclave, again, before pope benedict was elected. >> he spoke longer, mary, than previous pontiffs have. and i was a little

peter's square today for the inaugural mass of pope francis i. dignit arys travelled to the vatican to be part of today's service. jay gray has been following the election and the fest tivities. we have been talking a lot about the style and now it comes down to substance, correct? >> reporter: you are absolutely right. it was a mass wrapped in the traditions of the catholic faith. but as he has done since his election pope francis managed to weave his own tone into the celebration here. he began this day as he has his papacy, embracing the faithful. >> very spiritual, touching. it is a pilgrimage. >> reporter: pulled so many to the inaugural mass. among them kings, presidents, the u.s. delegation led by vice president joe biden. but it was his connection with the crowd that seemed to be the most powerful including this moment when he stopped to offer a special blessing. >> with all of the people here the pope stops to greet a severely handicap person. i think that sums it all up. >> reporter: a renewed dedication to those he called the poor, nee

pope francis i. a latin american where 40% of the world's catholics now live.the history in this moment. el papa es argentina. >> so much new about this. it is a latin american for the first time. a jesuit for the first time. he's taken the name of st. francis for the first time, clearly a signal that he wants to show a different face of the church. the face of the poor. >> reporter: he spoke softly and simply in italian, addressing the crowd and the world as brothers and sisters. his first act as pope -- was to pray the lord's prayer. the hail mary. >> reporter: when you look at that piazza and you look around the world, at the celebrations around the world, you have to realize it is a moment of an adoption. a billion catholics have just been adopted by a new spiritual father. >> reporter: it is such a monumental and a grand scene. the pope has such power. but as if to comment on all that, he then did something popes don't do. before giving his blessing, he asked for theirs, for ours, and bowed in silence. >> reporter: he is staking out new ground. he is annou

this is amazing. >> i want to you stay with me francis. i want to ask his 12 year old daughter mercy how she feels about the family's new living arrangements, you want to stick around for that. wewewewewewewe >> when my daughter comes to me and i say go clean your room, she knows better. she will not come back a coupil of hours later and say i memorized what you said to me. you said go clean your room. what do i say good job that's what i wanted. no . she will not come to me, dad i can say go clean your room in greek. listen, that is not going to fly. you know what, my friends and i are going to gather together and every week we are going to study and figure out what it would look like ficlean my room. none of that is going to fly. go and clean it she knows that. why do we think that type of thinking and talk works with jesus. jesus was black and white as you get. he would look at people and say why do you call me lord when you don't do what i say? >> we'll ask francis 12 year old daughter mercy what it was like. mercy, my question to you, y

i agree with bill. this is a moment to rejoice. pope francisy and what i read today i agree with mr. graham, it was really impressive that he is someone who stood not just in front of helping the poor and his country but someone who has spoken out very strongly about social justice issues. i was on campus today at georgetown. i rarely see my students and other students run and really celebrate something. but they were very enthusiastic about this selection of pope francis today. >> the young which so amazing. bill, you wrote a series on the president. you called it obama's war on religion. now he's come out. he came out an congratulated this pope. will there be a change? will there be a change from this pope on those issues that you feel are so wrong? >> no one should be impugning the character of the president. he's a good man. we have have some serious disagreements with him. there is time for the politics later. i just hope that this pope brings with him a big stable of men and women from about wane yoes air yes, sir. there is a comfort leve

it's not francis i, it is just francis. >> so after he is gone they will refer to him as francis i. >- >> if there is a second francis -- >> bill: if there is a second francis, but he is the first pope in like a thousand years to take a new name. >> i was really hoping to see another pope bonaface. >> bill: call up francis and tell him what you think. joey out in chicago, hey, joe which has an opinion on everything. hey, joey, good morning. >> caller: good morning guys. good morning gentlemen. he is a little too old fashioned for me bill. he took the name francis which is totally for the poor. that name is for the poor, st. francis, so that's one good thing, but he is just a little too old fashioned. >> bill: talking about old fashioned by the way if there was ever a glimpse into the old world it was yesterday don't you think. the mobs of people in the square and the leader up on the balcony standing there with just one hand raised it looked to me like mussolini. >> caller: it could have been 1200 last year. >> bill: yes. elaine in washington. hi, elaine what do you say. >> caller: go

he could be called francis i. american, german, it is not important. he should simply be pope and be healthy. all italians want an italian pope, but whoever it is will be ok. tv crews are camped out around the square. a great live shot means a great position. it is time to cross over to berlin. dw anchors asked about the atmosphere in rome. he said the excitement is palpable around st. peter's square fell through the huge media presence. you cannot go through the square without passing a three, four, five cameras. this is the first of many interviews with correspondents in rome. from the rooftops, broadcasts run around the clock. christoph says it's like a battle. everyone has their troops. they come together from around the world. many here are italian and. they always come to big events and worked professionally. somehow, but it all works together. allrters have come from corners of the globe. there are media occupying every viewpoint. they are shot by the vatican and made available to all broadcasting. cardinals enter the sistine chapel. the conclav

. >> my name is michael francis. i am a retired worker. i am on medi-cal and medicare. my resources are slim. i have three kids, eight, three and five year old. this morning my wife took my son to the emergency and thought he had a strep throat. he didn't and we couldn't get in to see dr. burke and [inaudible] straing coincidence and toxicity -- everybody knows it's there from one end of the bay view to another. okay. the smell -- i live on kirk wood. i smell it all the time. if you go anywhere in bay view the smell is there all the time. you have to do something about that. the location is great. like they said it's all there i got three kids that use them services. my youngest daughter, the five year old, she's seeing a specialist there because of her issues, and all i got to say is that all this -- there's too many toxins. all the upon ands say it's clear. >> >> it's clear. build it. thank you. >> thank you. omar. thank you you have been very patient. >> thank you commissioners. all is not doom and gloom in bay view. i plan to live the rest of my life in bay view and

pope francis. i guess he told the driver, i will goi with the guys on the bus. >> he was not wearing the red silk instead in a simple white cassock. >> today, pope francis visits the sanctuary in rome and will set brat mass in the sistine chapel. >> so now, the vatican starts preparing for tuesday's installation. early estimates were that 200,000, 300,000 people could attend. >> i'm ready to go on assignment. >>> many headed to special matt at lady of guadalupe parish last night. >> for the first time in the church's history, catholics have a pope from argentina. 42% of the world's catholic population lives in south america. many are feeling a connection based on language and culture. >> i am happy, very happy. the first jesuit pope, secondly, from latin america, so he can identify a little bit more with some of the life that we all live here as latinos in our community. >> some are hoping they will be able to connect with pope francis in person, maybe a visit to the bay area one day. area was pope j

. >> as the bus pulls off, guess who pulls off, pope francis. i guess he just told the driver i'll go with the guys on the bus. he's a wonderfully simple man. >> with a very difficult job ahe ahead. >> there will be another incredible moment thursday morning, when pope francis travels to gondolfo to spend some time with pope ameritus benedict. it's been nearly 600 years since there's been an opportunity for pope's meet face to face about. >> while we still have you, a pivotal time for pope francis across the world. very in touch with people. how can he reinspire catholics across the world? >> a lot of those who follow the vatican here and who know pope francis say that's exactly one of the strong suits and why he may be indeed the next pope. it's -- he's known as a man who's of the people. who's spent time inspiring the faithful and growing the faithful. growing the number of people who show up in the pews on sunday. he's humble, known as a champion of the poor. all the quality they say they need in their church right now. >> very interesting time

on what have of the american people, michelle and i offer our warmest wishes to his holiness pope francis. as a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than 2,000 years. there will be a special mass on march 19 to officially install the pope. he was the runner-up to pope benedict at the conclave just eight years ago. he's the first ever jesuit pope, despite the jesuits are the largest order of priests in the world. >> in san francisco, catholic parishioners say they feel an almost instant bond with the pope. jodi hernandez is live to explain. >> reporter: he bears the name of st. francis, so folks felt a special connection with the name he chose. catholics across the area say they feel encouraged by what this new pope brings to the table. >> when i heard the bells tolling at about 11:30, that told me a new pope was -- had been chosen. >> reporter: and the ringing of the church bells brought parishioners out to pray. while others gathered around an ipad to watch as the new pope made his first

pope francis i brings enormous appeal for his service to the poor and his jesuit pack ground in argentinaurse, and a poll just before francis was chosen, only a third of american catholics said pope was in touch with american people. 54%, a strong majority said yes to reform the kelly, hope springs eternal, especially with the new pope. great theater, much excitement. how is he going to appeal to progress rives in america? >> although the church has always been for the poor, to have a pontiff who is so closely allied with the poor and has lived it, in these years of controversy and being reminded of the wealth of the church where they are paying out for the terrible sins of some priests, to have someone who has lived the austere life, the message of francis, that helps. my expectations for change are not big. but he talked about contraceptives with relation to disease. but he's turning a page that was needed. >> changing the headlines, this is a church that politically needs to have a game-changing message. talking now about poverty and equality much more than about ask sex scandals. poli

i think pope francis couldn't be further away from that. a real hope and more of a shift of tone with this papacy. the common person. i had a woman call me from new york in a parish i work in, and she said, you know, i think i could go to confession to this man. that means he's perceived as a man of the people. he rode the bus so that he could converse with his parishioners. and i think for me right now, that seems to be the biggest moment. >> and in terms of sort of the inner workings of the vatican in terms of where the church goes from here, how do things change? >> we spend an awful lot of time in the run up to this vote talking about business management as a voting issue. a pope who needs to get control of child sexual abuse crisis, a pope who needs to deal with accusations of financial mismanagement. a pope who needs to avoid the meltdowns we have seen over the last eight years. it remains to be seen what extent that's going to be something that pope francis can pull off. i think what he's reminded us of in these sort of symbolic firs

but pope francis i is 76 years old, sister. did they just do it again? >> well, i think they did just do it again. but i think this is also an important step because in our fast-paced globalized world i think maybe the electors have some insights that a very long papacy like with john paul had a lot of positives but there was a lot of anguish at the end of the papacy, a lot of things went undone. because we always need a variety of skills and a variety of gifts to make a difference and i think that's what they're choosing. some new gifts but not for too long. >> suarez: there's been stories of financial mismanagement, decline of the church in the west and, of course, the ongoing unfolding, consistent revelation of the sexual abuse scandals. what's job one after the installation? >> i think job one is to put a management team in place, so to speak, to make some changes probably, even in the curia, and put people in whom he trusts and who will make some changes in those structures and maybe even more transparency in the roman structure. you know, who would

election of pope francis i inspired david letterman. >> number ten, "leviticus and shirley." er seven, "abstinence in the city." number five, "i dream of service." number three, "two and a half wise men." number two, "the big bang theory is a lie." and number one biblical television show, "bleep my god says." >> wow. i like "the big bang theory is a lie." no doubt thanks to georgia congressman brown who said evolution and the big bang theory are lies from the pit of hell. that's what he said. >>> now to the sights of cpac. as we've been discussing, there are many fashions of the republican party on the scene of cpac and some of the kiosks in the hallway tell the tale. catch these. a poster for the obama awareness campaign exposes radical agenda on your campus. a spread of pro-gun memorabilia. if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. this bizarre, i plead the second. well. then this non homage, wtf, how karl rove and the establishment lost again. and the scene from donald trump's speech this morning. let's just say, it wasn't standing room only. how about seating room

francis -- he went out and preached to the masses. i think that is another sign for him. >> another inspiration, francis. we'll hear more from him on why he chose francis. for the first time, the world has a pope who is not from europe. it is hard to say how significant that is but it is so important. a priest from argentina who knows pope francis joins us next. >>> plus, what will south american pope mean for americans and the 70 million catholics here? bill donahue and the reverend franklin graham come "out front." the american dream is of a better future, a confident retirement. those dreams have taken a beating lately. but no way we're going to let them die. ♪ ameriprise advisors can help keep your dreams alive like they helped millions of others. by listening. planning. working one on one. that's what ameriprise financial does. and that's what they can do with you. that's how ameriprise puts more within reach. ♪ that's how ameriprise puts more within reach. ♪ ♪ twith blackberry hub10 and flick typing. built to keep you moving. see

francis. >> i think it's a signal that he intends to identify with st.ncis and who he was with the poor. i think it is important. this is religion. you're in the symbol business. you send a signal this is who i'm going to be. i was also cheered not only by all of the refusal of pomp and circumstance. appearing in just a simple robe. not all the extra embroidered garments this sent a message. but this is someone who in 2007 talked about the excess of wealth. now it's true that this is not a liberation theologian, and he was definitely not a liberation theologian in the 70s. >> john: for those who are not familiar with liberation theology, can you let us know. >> yes it's a latin america movement, archbishop romero who was murdered by the death squad that identified as the poor being the poor jesus like the poor st. francis and that you get theology from that perspective. therefore sin was not just personal and individualic but social. you get someone who knows certainly sin andsocialsin and talks about it in 2007 i think he knows that. >> john: this cardi