Pope Francis

I helped break one of the century's biggest stories, the selection of an Argentine cardinal, Jorge Bergoglio, to be pope. The longtime priest, descendent of Italian migrants, is known both for his social activism as he is for his shadowy role during Argentina's years of military dictatorship. As part of the church hierarchy, he has been accused of abetting the regime with his complicity and silence. From 1976-1983, as many as 30,000 people were disappeared.

Francis, who recently told reporters he took the name after Francis of Assisi, a great sympathizer of the poor, has, in recent years, developed a reputation for his work with left-leaning organizations of various faiths to take on Argentina's entrenched poverty. All the while, journalists at Página12 have characterized his behavior during the dictatorship as tacit support, or at least cowardice. An attorney accused him of complicity in the kidnapping and torture of two Jesuit priests, but the case was dropped.

The pope, formerly Padre Jorge, holds open-air masses for human-trafficking victims and washes the feet of HIV-postive congregants at mass in the hospitals on Holy Thursday. Many added comments to The New York Times story, expressing so much hope that the new cardinal of Rome will right the reputation of the Catholic Church.