A Croydon priest has expressed his delight at the election of Pope Francis I.
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was selected ahead of 115 other cardinals this evening (Wednesday).
His selection, a real surprise, was revealed to the world tonight after white smoke billowed from the famous chimney in St Peter's Square.
Canon Jim Pannett, of St John the Baptist Church, in Purley, said: "I am delighted. It is fantastic to have chosen a South American and he will bring a breath of fresh air to the Catholic church.
"If he is half as brilliant as St Francis then he will be an excellent pope."
