New pope pays homage to Virgin Mary on first outing

ROME: Pope Francis visited a Rome basilica in his first outing on Thursday as the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church, entering discreetly through a side door before placing a bouquet of flowers in homage to the Virgin Mary.

Dressed in the white papal vestments, Francis was driven to the basilica in a standard-issue Vatican car rather than the papal limousine, in keeping with early signs that the ascetic 76-year-old Argentinian will shun the perks of high office.