the choice of bergoglio , ” he said .
cardinal bergoglio apparently went through the first round of voting , which took place on tuesday evening , into the conclave as a leading vote - getter , but a number of other eminences garnered some votes , which were handwritten on latin ballots with pilot gel pens .
cardinal scola went into the conclave with a solid block of votes , including many of the americans and europeans , who saw in him an italian who was nevertheless at a distance from the intrigues of the vatican .
in the final round of voting , the future francis hit 77 — the required two - thirds minimum — before all the votes were counted .
by the time they strode solemnly into the magnificent sistine chapel and closed away the outside world tuesday , many of the cardinals had significantly refined their lists of candidates .
( ciro fusco , european pressphoto agency ) vatican city — in private meetings before their conclave to elect a new pope , roman catholic cardinals took note when one of their number rose to speak — clearly , quietly and persuasively — about the need to purify the church and streamline its unwieldy bureaucracy .
almost no one predicted that bergoglio would be elected to replace pope benedict xvi , who resigned last month .
“ the rapidity with which the choice of pope francis , center , leaves the basilica of santa maria maggiore in rome on his first day on the job .
ignazio ingrao , the vatican for il sole 24 ore , reported that cardinal bergoglio , cardinal scola and cardinal marc ouellet of canada were the leaders .