Pope Francis appears for the first time on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on March 13. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76 was elected the 266th pope and took the name Francis.

The election March 13 came on the first full day of the conclave on the conclave's fifth ballot. It was a surprisingly quick conclusion to a conclave that began with many plausible candidates and no clear favorite.

The Latin American pope, a Jesuit, was chosen by at least two-thirds of the 115 cardinals from 48 countries, who cast their ballots in secret in the Sistine Chapel.

His election was announced in Latin from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, to a massive crowd in the square below and millions watching around the world.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – To the delighted surprise of many, clouds of white smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel March 13, indicating a pope had been elected on the conclave's fifth ballot.

The smoke signal went off at 7:05 p.m. The 115 cardinals gathered to elect the 266th successor of Peter had taken one vote late March 12 and two votes the next morning, resulting in clouds of black smoke.

The Vatican estimated it would be about an hour before Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the top-ranking cardinal deacon, would come out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and confirm the election with the phrase "Habemus papam" (We have a pope).

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell greets well-wishers as participants gather for the start of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Hartford on March 9. The archbishop and representatives of St. Augustine and SS. Cyril and Methodius schools in Hartford marched in that parade. The archbishop joined students at New Haven’s Catholic schools, St. Aedan-St. Brendan, St. Bernadette and St. Francis-St. Rose, to march in the New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 10. (Photo by Father Jeffrey V. Romans)

Franciscan Sister Jane Marie Klein, who chairs the board of Franciscan Alliance, speaks during a March 5 press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington about proposed legislation to address religious freedom concerns about the Health and Human Services contraceptive mandate. (CNS photo /Bob Roller)WASHINGTON (CNS) – Three Republican members of the House of Representatives March 5 introduced a bill to protect conscience rights for both workers in the health care industry and for employers in light of the federal mandate requiring employers to cover contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.

One of the sponsors, Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., said it is possible that the bill, the Health Care Conscience Rights Act, could be folded into a continuing resolution being considered by the House to keep the federal government operating beyond March 27.

Two Catholic women who run businesses and who appeared at a March 5 news conference on Capitol Hill said they do not want to be forced to choose between their conscience or their business.

WATERBURY – Breaking the $10 million mark for the first time has not seemed to slow the momentum of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, which this year is adding a new supportive housing project to the list of services it funds. Francis Xavier Plaza Inc., a $7-million project to be built on the site of the former St. Francis Xavier School on Baldwin Street, will be serviced by Catholic Charities, which the appeal supports to the tune of $2.225 million, according to Kaitlin Leonard, appeal director.

Each year, the appeal supports hundreds of agencies and local charities. These include the Malta House of Care mobile medical clinics in Hartford and Waterbury; the Emergency Assistance Fund for parishioners in financial need; the Tuition Assistance Fund for eligible Catholic school students; parish missions such as engaged couple conferences, pro-life activities -and programs for divorced and separated people; communications services; and much more.

The 2013 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal officially began on March 2-3.