The Catholic Church has a new Pope now that the conclave of Catholic leaders have cast their ballots for Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit from Argentina.
Pope Benedict XVI stepped down from his position Feb. 28, citing failing strength of “mind and body." The new Pope has taken on the name Francis I.
Fairfax City is home to a large Catholic population — about 44 percent of city residents identify with the faith, according to 2010 U.S. Census Data, though that's a drop from the 51 percent the city reported in 2000.
A woman who answered the phone at St. Leo's Catholic Church in Fairfax City on Tuesday said nobody was available to comment on the selection.
At Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax High School, students gathered around computer screens to watch the news roll in, according to the school's Facebook page.
Pope Francis I, 76, was created a cardinal by Pope John Paull II and is known for riding the bus to work in Buenos Aires and championing the poor, according to The Guardian.
The Guardian reports that as cardinal, Bergoglio took a stance against gay marriage, but supported the use of contraception to prevent disease.
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