This balcony is where we’ll first see the new pope
The 267th leader of the Catholic Church will soon step onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and make himself known to the world.
First impressions count. When Pope Francis stepped onto the balcony in 2013, he did so dressed in simple white robes, shunning much of the papal pomp of his predecessors.
He chose “Francis” as his papal name in honor of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who renounced his family wealth and championed the poor.
Francis also addressed the crowd with the simple Italian greeting, “Buona sera,” meaning “good evening.”