“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who has taken the name Pope Francis on his assumption of the papacy, and to all Catholics across the world on this momentous occasion,” said United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is from South Korea. Moon explained that he looks “forward to continuing cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See.” He also expressed a desire to pursue common goals, “from the promotion of peace, social justice and human rights, to the eradication of poverty and hunger,” with the new Pope.

The Secretary General also affirmed “that His Holiness will continue to build on the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, in the promotion of inter-faith dialogue, which is at the heart of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.”

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, wished Pope Francis “courage and strength.” He added that a “new impetus is necessary to revive the fundamental values which are at the basis of Christianity,” because these values “are needed more than ever in a world which risks being engulfed in a spiral of materialism and inequality.”

Cristina Kirchner, president of the Pope’s home country of Argentina, said in a statement that the nation wishes Pope Francis “a fruitful pastoral mission, with such tremendous responsibility on his shoulders, seeking justice, equality, brotherhood and peace among mankind.”