Argentina's Pope Francis heralds a new era for Latin America
Faithful visitors react before newly elected Pope Francis appears on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday (March 13) in Vatican City. Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. RNS photo by Andrea Sabbadini
(RNS) Pope Francis' roots in Argentina give a boost to the morale and image of a continent that is coming into its own and overcoming many negative stereotypes.