Cardinals elected Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis I on Wednesday to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, CNN reports. He is the first non-European pope in the modern era, the first South American pope, and the third straight non-Italian pope. Pope Francis, 76, is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them, and is a follower of the Catholic Church's most conservative wing. The decision came after the fifth ballot cast by the 115 cardinals since the papal conclave began Tuesday. Pope Francis succeeds Pope Benedict XVI, who became the first pope to resign in hundreds of years when he stepped down February 28, citing advanced age.
