The Holy Father made his first public appearance from the balcony of St. Peter's on the evening of March 13, greeting the crowds gathered in the square below. Pope Francis' installation Mass as Bishop of Rome will be on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph, at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square.
Nicholson said that while some may "think there are superficial contradictions" in the election of Cardinal Bergoglio, he finds the choice "terrific."
"A combination of social justice and orthodoxy. That is greatly needed," he said.
One of the apparent anomalies surrounding the election was the fact that Cardinal Bergoglio's name had not been one of those mentioned as a top possibility for Pope when the conclave began, said Nicholson. And while it had seemed like the cardinals were largely undecided and there was no clear frontrunner, the conclave lasted just two days – shorter than many Vatican analysts had anticipated.
The former ambassador said that while this contradicted many people's expectations, it shows that Pope Francis was "obviously very well regarded" among his brother cardinals.
The choice of Cardinal Bergoglio was also "very positive," he explained, because there is such a "heavy concentration of Catholics in Latin America," and the Church there has the potential for significant growth.