The moment when the great doors of St Peter’s balcony swing open, announcing a new pope, seems to call for trumpets and drums. Instead, on March 13th 2013, the figure in white said: “Good evening.” Though he spoke in Italian, his parents’ language, he was Argentinian, the first non-European pope for almost 13 centuries. That in itself was interesting. Then, before the traditional urbi et orbi blessing, he asked the huge crowd for their blessing on him. Interest turned to patent surprise.
