PoliticsNation   |  March 13, 2013

Obama offers ‘warm wishes’ to Pope Francis I

President Obama and Michelle wish the newly chosen Pope well – and Reverend Al Sharpton notes that Pope Francis I is known as a “humble man of simple habits.”

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> that was the moment today when the eyes of the world were on the vatican. when cardinal jorge bergoglio walked out as pope francis i, leading the world's 1 billion cat licks. late today president obama released a statement saying, "michelle and i offer our warm wishes to his holiness pope francis . as a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than 2,000 years." vice president biden will lead the u.s. delegation to the vatican for the formal ceremony making the pope's installation. pope francis is the first pope from the americas. he's the first to take his papal name from st. francis . the friar who more than 800 years ago took a vow of poverty and devoted his life to helping the poor and the sick. in fact, pope francis is known as a humble man of simple habits. the ap says he often rode the public bus to work, cooked his own meals, and often visited poor neighborhoods. francis is also the first pope to come from the jets with order, an order with a long tradition in work and civil rights in this country. this new pope has a unique ability to focus the world's attention on the sick and the poor. the wrongs we inflict on each other and the rights we hold as human beings . let us pray for his success. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton . "hardball" starts right now.