By Rafal Rogoza (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Mar 14, 2013 12:57 PM EDT

Less than 24-hours after he was greeted by over a hundred thousand people at Vatican City and tens of millions watching on television sets around the world, the new head of the Catholic church Pope Francis I quietly left the Vatican to pray at one of Rome's renowned basilicas.

The 76-year-old pontiff visited Rome's 5th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore where he prayed for guidance at the holy icon of Mary, the mother of Christ, Reuters reports.

Pope Francis I, the first Jesuit and Latin American pope in the history of the 2,000-year-old church, will now lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics and the church as it tries to cope with sex scandals and child molestation charges that have surfaced in recent years at western churches.

However, on Thursday the new pope spent the day getting adjusted to a role he reportedly did not expect to play; surprising several Roman church leaders along the way, like Father Ludovic Melo of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. 

"He spoke to us cordially, like a father," said Melo, but added he wasn't ready for the pope's unexpected visit. "We were given 10 minutes' advance notice that the pope was coming." 

After prayer at the basilica, Pope Francis I asked to have his bags picked up from a Rome residence where he left them before heading to the conclave at the Vatican where he was elected. Reports say Francis leaving his bags is an indication he was not expecting to be chosen as pope.

Reports say Pope Francis insisted on paying the bill for staying at the residence to set a good example for other church leaders. Father Pawel Rytel-Andrianik, who lives in the same residence, told Reuters the pope shouldn't concern himself with the bill.

"I don't think he needs to worry about the bill. This house is part of the Church and it's his Church now," he said.

Pope Francis I will hold mass with cardinals at the Sistine Chapel this afternoon. The traditional mass will be televised for the first time in its history. The pope's inaugural mass will be held on Tuesday. 

The new pope has also scheduled a visit to meet with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, at the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo in southern Rome.

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