In South Sudan, where a quarter of the population of eight million is Roman Catholic, people share their hopes and expectations for the new pope.
New Pope Sparks New Hopes in South Sudan
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"What I expect him to do most is, for us Africans, he has to support our rights… and he has to join us in the fight against gay and lesbian marriage. We as Africans – we can’t support that." Zaituni Mahmoud, Gudele, Juba
Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, March 13, 2013.
Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, March 13, 2013.
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"He has to work hard and unite all the churches and leaders in the world so that people live in peace and harmony." Jimmy Jackson, Kator, Juba
Newly elected Pope Francis makes a private visit to the 5th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in a photo released by Osservatore Romano in Rome, March 14, 2013.
Newly elected Pope Francis makes a private visit to the 5th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in a photo released by Osservatore Romano in Rome, March 14, 2013.
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A nun takes a photograph of the first batch of souvenirs adorned with freshly-printed pictures of the newly-elected Pope Francis in a shop at the Vatican, March 14, 2013.