Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mar 19, 2013 / 15:05 pm
Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, apostolic nuncio to Argentina, celebrated a special Mass of Thanksgiving to offer gratitude and prayers for Pope Francis as he begins his papacy.
The March 17 Mass at the Cathedral of Buenos Aires began a three-day period of prayer for Pope Francis that culminated on March 19 with the official inauguration of his Pontificate.
The hundreds of faithful gathered for the Mass broke out in applause numerous times to express their affection for Father Bergoglio, as he was often called, for his devotion to the Church in Argentina.
The initial applause lasted for more than a minute after Archbishop Tscherrig began his homily recalling those "moments of excitement and waiting" when the name Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio rang out from the loggia overlooking St. Peter's Square.