According to odds given by Paddy Power, the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina for Pope was highly unlikely, with the Irish bet makers offering a 33-1 stack on Jorge becoming Pope.

But Bergoglio is the hero the Catholic church needs, even if no one cares whether they deserve it or not. Pope Francis is the first pope from the “New World,” in the modern era, breaking the European pope tradition. More importantly, he’s from a Spanish speaking pope.

According to research done by Pew, 40% of the world’s Catholic population live in Latin America. While 72% of Latin America consider themselves Catholic. Latin America could be the future of the Catholic Church.

A papal biographer, Marco Politi, said:

It’s a genius move. It’s a non-Itlaian, non-European, not a man of the Roman government. It’s an opening to the Third World, a moderate. By taking the name Francis, it means a completely new beginning.

Some, however have eyebrows raised concerning his election, due to his stance on gay adoption, and “health concerns” – what with him only having one lung.

[Source: Business Insider]