Folksy pope wins more hearts with first Angelus

VATICAN CITY (AFP) March 17, 2013 12:07:21 PM EDT

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Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

Pope Francis appears from the window of the apartments at St Peter\’s Square on March 17, 2013 at the Vatican. Francis appeared before some 150,000 pilgrims for his first Angelus prayer and asked the faithful to pray for him.

Pope Francis on Sunday underscored his man-of-the-people approach with his first Angelus prayer as pontiff, taking a folksy tone in front of 150,000 enthusiastic pilgrims in St Peter\’s Square.

\”Brothers and sisters, hello,\” said the Argentine pope, using the same formula as when he greeted the faithful for the first time after his surprise election on Wednesday.

\”Thank you for your welcome, and for your prayers,\” the first pope from Latin America said from a window of the papal apartment high above the square. \”Pray for me,\” he urged.

Many pilgrims in the square waved the flag of Argentina as the former cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio recited the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer.

Flags from other Latin American nations including Colombia, Peru, Paraguay and Mexico could also be seen in the crowd.

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