10 things you need to know today: March 17, 2013

Pope Francis delivers his first Sunday prayer, Rand Paul wins CPAC's straw poll, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion

Pope Francis gives his first Angelus Blessing to the faithful from the window of his private residence on March 17 in Vatican City
(Image credit: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images)

1. POPE FRANCIS MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE

Pope Francis broke with tradition and delivered off-the-cuff remarks about God's power to forgive for the first Sunday window appearance of his papacy. The remarks preceded his first Angelus Blessing as pope. His candid comments (a change from the standard written speech) and humor delighted a crowd of more than 150,000 in St. Peter's Square. He also spoke only in Italian instead of speaking in several languages as his last few predecessors have done. In just five days, Francis' straightforward, spontaneous style has already become a hallmark of his papacy; earlier in the day, he made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican, startling passers-by and prompting cheers. [CBS News]

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Terri is a freelance writer at TheWeek.com. She's a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism and has worked at TIME and Brides. You can follow her on Twitter.