So, habemus papum. We have a pope.
Everyone deserves a chance, and it is with optimism that I welcome the new leader of the Catholic Church.
What excites me is the fact that Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio is a man of firsts.
The first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope and the first pope ever to take the name Francis, the most-loved saint.
Over the past few days I have heard much cynical comment from friends and colleagues. One declared it would make no difference whoever got the job. "He will have no impact on our lives anyway. Nothing will change," she said.
I beg to differ. By the very nature of the job, the pope, whoever he is, has a massive impact all over the world. He is leader of a flock of 1.2 billion, and how he ministers will make a difference.
I am a Catholic, but by no means a weekly Mass-goer. I believe in God, but I have a lot of issues with the church. Revelations of clerical sex abuse have been shocking, and the way it was brushed under the carpet by the Vatican over decades is totally unacceptable.
But I am prepared to give Pope Francis a chance and see what he will do to instil new faith in the church.
I am full of hope and expectation and first impressions are good. Pope Francis looked very natural and easy on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica where he addressed the massive crowd in St Peter's Square.
It was nice that he left moments of silence before he said his first words. He gave the impression of an old friend, soft-spoken and with no trace of the pomp and stiffness normally associated with being pope.
Pope Francis is said to be a humble man of the people who, as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, took the bus to work. He has spoken often about social injustice. He has a practical approach to poverty too.
When he was appointed a cardinal in 2001, he persuaded hundreds of Argentinians not to fly to Rome to celebrate with him, but to give the money they would have spent on plane tickets to the poor.
He can talk about real issues affecting real people. He has spoken out strongly on the Argentinian economy and the effect that has had on the people. Also heartening is the fact that he is not regarded as a "Vatican insider".
Time will tell if Pope Francis will be a
reformer. The church desperately needs one. He has to open up the church
to women and review the issue of celibacy. I would love to see him cast
away a lot of the wealth and pomp and lavishness that is association
with the Vatican and the job.
One thing of concern is the
fact that Francis was such a vehement opponent of Argentina's decision
to legalise gay marriage in 2010, arguing that children need to have the
right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother.
But for the moment I have hope in my heart and I wait to be re-energised and re-engaged by my church.