Hand of God

THE new Pope waves a blessing over Vatican crowds after his election last night sparked ecstasy in his homeland — Argentina.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio — now Francis I — succeeds Benedict XVI who quit of old age at 85.

But it also emerged last night that the new Pope wants Britain to hand back the Falklands — once declaring: “The Malvinas are ours.”

He even backed his country’s soldiers in their doomed bid to snatch the islands in 1982.

In his first translated address, Francis — who speaks Spanish, Italian and German but not English — said: “You know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world to get him. But here we are.”

A crowd tens of thousands strong had waited all day in heavy rain for the decision at St Peter’s Square in Rome.

More joined them as white smoke billowed from a makeshift chimney just after 6pm British time to signify his election. French cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran later appeared on a balcony to say in Latin: “I announce to you a great joy. We have a Pope.” Then at 7.22pm there were huge cheers as Francis emerged in simple white robes and a skull cap — followed by chants of “Viva il Papa (Long live the Pope).”

He told the crowd: “Let us begin this journey together, this journey for the Roman Catholic Church. It’s a journey of friendship and love and faith between us. Let us pray for one another, let us pray for all the world.”