I'm Anderson Cooper, Rome, welcome to the podcast, electing a pioneering Pope, let's get started.

The world has a new Pope, as you know, no doubt known by now, 1.2 billion Catholics have a new leader, and many ways he is unlike any the churches ever had.

The man who just a short time ago, stepped on that balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica, now begins day one of his papacy.

He is a true pioneer in many ways.

The first Latin American Pope, the first non-European Pope in modern times, the first take the name Francis after Saint Francis of a Assisi.

And though it's true that every paper conclave become a part of history, this one make history and pretty quickly as well.

Extraordinary scene in the square, the five rounds of voting at the decision, and the white smoke rose, the crowd in Saint Peter Square erupted.

The joy, it's time not tempered by mourning as it was eight years ago, because it's for the first in 598 years a previous Pope is alive and well retired, not deceased.

As word got out, the crowd grew large, people literally running to the square, Romans and visitors, even people making airline connections, racing to the square more than 150000 in all, official say.

All eyes on that small balcony, waiting, watching, wondering who would emerge, a favorite, Cardinal Scholar of Milan perhaps, an American O'Mellio of Boston, the first Canadian Pope, the first modern African, who would be?

The questions were answered as they've always been by Cardinal taking the first step and uttering the traditional words.

We announce to you a great joy, habemus papam, we have a Pope.

For that Pope, Jorge Maria Belgolio seemly came out of no where, surprise to many.

Cardinal of Buenos Aires, a non-traditional Cardinal who lived humbly, cooking his own meals, taking public transit, where he speak to people face to face.

The humility standing to his first remarks after leading the crowd in Our Father and Hary Mary, he asked them to pray for him, an unprecedented move.

I would like to offer you my blessing, but I'd like to ask a favor first.

First, before the bishop bless to people, I would like to pray for the Lord.

So that the prayer of the blesses also the new pontiff.

Well, shortly after his election, Francis called his predecessor, another first, then he dined with his former fellow Cardinals, including New York's Timothy Dolan.

He is already won our hearts, absolutely won our hearts, because he is the new Pope.

But he just, we just had a very beautiful fraternal meal at the Doma Santa Mata where we've been staying.

And he told us, he said, when we toasted him, the Cardinal secretary state toasted him, and then he toasted us and he simply said May god forgive you.