Election Of New Pope Francis Is A 'Momentous Day' Says David Cameron

The election of Pope Francis I has been welcomed as "a momentous day".

Minutes after the new pope addressed the crowd gathered in St Peter's Square, Rome, prime minister David Cameron tweeted: "A momentous day for the 1.2bn Catholics around the world as His Holiness Pope Francis I is appointed the 266th Bishop of Rome."


The UN Secretary General offered his congratulations to Pope Francis   Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales expressed his joy at the news: "On behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, I wish to express my great joy at the news of the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 265th Successor of St Peter and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.

"As he begins his new Apostolic ministry, as the Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the universal Church, Pope Francis I may be assured of the prayers and loving support of the Catholic community throughout England and Wales."

"I look forward to continuing co-operation between the United Nations and the Holy See, under the wise leadership of His Holiness Pope Francis.

"We share many common goals - from the promotion of peace, social justice and human rights, to the eradication of poverty and hunger - all core elements of sustainable development."

He added: "I am certain that His Holiness will continue to build on the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, in the promotion of inter-faith dialogue which is at the heart of the Alliance of Civilisations initiative."

Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond said: "My warmest congratulations go to Pope Francis on his election, which will be welcomed by Scotland's Catholic community and by others around the world.

"I wish him well in his time in the Papacy, and his first message as Pope - urging greater bonds of understanding and co-operation among peoples and nations - is one that should resonate around the globe."

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the former head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, said the new Pope was an "inspired" choice.