New Pope Sparks New Hopes in South Sudan

"It doesn’t matter if he's from Africa, from Argentina, or from where as long as he has that spirit of leading the people." Ben Benjamin, Munuki, Juba

Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.

"Before, the pope was selected from Europe, but now it is out of Europe – inside South America. So we have that hope that maybe one day, one time, it will come slowly, slowly until it will reach Africa." Tony Garang, Juba
 
Newly elected Pope Francis waves from the steps of the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, March 14, 2013.

"I just want him to do what the other pope didn’t do. Where [Benedict XVI] stopped, let [Francis] start..." Zaituni Mahmoud, Gudele, Juba

White smoke rises from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel indicating that a new pope has been elected at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.

Crowds cheer as white smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, indicating a new pope has been elected at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.

"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.

"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.

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.