NEW POPE NAMED AS JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO (POPE FRANCIS THE FIRST) OF ARGENTINA...!!!

It's Pope Francis I: First non-European elected to lead Catholic Church for 1,000 years. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio appeared on the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square after being chosen as the new pontiff

Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio has been elected the new pope - the first non-European chosen in a thousand years. The 76-year-old cardinal, from Buenos Aires, who has chosen to be known as Pope Francis I, was introduced to crowds at the Vatican tonight. He finished second in the 2005 conclave that elected Benedict XVI - who last month became the first pope to resign in 600 years.

The choice was marked by symbolic white smoke being released from a chimney at the Vatican at just after 6pm UK time. The 266th pope changed into his papal white cassock, then one-by-one the cardinals approached him to swear their obedience. He stopped to pray in the Pauline Chapel for a few minutes before emerging at around 7.15pm on the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square.

There, French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran introduced him to the world - and thousands of cheering Catholics in the square - in Latin. Bergoglio has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and priests. 115 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel this week to elect Pope Benedict XVI’s successor in an ancient ritual that harks back 2,000 years.

A few drops of a special chemical was added to the fire to turn the smoke to white, signalling “Habemus Papam” – we have a new pope.

The breakthrough came after the second vote on the second day of the gathering of the cardinals in Rome. The conclave to choose the new pope was prompted by the dramatic resignation of pope Benedict XVI last month. In the absence of a new pontiff earlier today, a seagull stole the show at the papal conclave. Smoke-watching became bird watching in St. Peter's Square after a gull spent several minutes perched atop the chimney.

About Pope Francis I: A humble moderniser

Pope Francis - the first Jesuit pope - has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina.

The former Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, reportedly got the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger, the last pope, in the 2005 papal election.

He has long specialised in the kind of pastoral work - overseeing churches and priests - that some say is an essential skill for a pope.

In a lifetime of teaching and leading priests in Latin America, which has the largest share of the world's Catholics, Bergoglio has shown a keen political sensibility as well as a self-effacing humility, according to his official biographer, Sergio Rubin.

His personal style is the antithesis of Vatican splendour.

Bergoglio is also known for modernising an Argentine church that had been among the most conservative in Latin America.