A New Pope, A New Day - Fox 2 News Headlines

The Catholic Catholic's newly-elected Pope Francis opened his first morning as pontiff by praying at Rome's Saint Mary Major Basilica.

He entered through a side entrance and left about 30 minutes later.

He was originally scheduled to visit his predecessor, but that plan has since changed. He will later say mass in the Sistine Chapel.

The 76-year-old from Argentina, formerly Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, was chosen as the church's next leader Wednesday during the papal conclave at the Vatican.

As he spoke to the crowd gathered in saint peter's square Wednesday night, he asked for their prayers and support.

"I want to ask you a favor," Pope Francis said, according to a translation. "Before the bishop blesses the people, I want for you to pray the Lord so that he can bless me."

Pope Francis is already a pope of firsts. He is the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit and the first to take the name Francis.

For more insight into the new pope, "Good Day" was joined earlier this morning by Father Patrick Brady from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.

Among the topics he discussed were the pope's biggest challenges moving forward, his name, what it means that he's a Jesuit, what his age says about the selection and whether the pope will be coming to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.