A New Era for Catholics... and Evangelicals

Can the down-to-earth leader meet the challenges posed by evangelical Christianity in Latin America? When the Senior Cardinal Deacon pronounced the words ‘Habemus Papam’ from the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square, tens of thousands of pilgrims erupted in a cheer of joy, but the name which followed was initially greeted with silence by the crowd. Cardinal who? Argentine Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio was not a frontrunner for the papacy; nevertheless, as he appeared at the balcony in person, renamed as Pope Francis, the crowds immediately warmed to him.