A new pope has been elected.
The signal, a white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signalling the end of the secretive conclave and the beginning of a new papacy.
The 133 cardinals gathered for the second day of deliberations successfully chose a successor to Pope Francis, prompting cheers and applause from thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square.
Tradition now dictates a swift sequence of events: the newly elected pope has been led to the “Room of Tears” to don the white papal robes before making his first public appearance. Within the next hour, the senior cardinal deacon will step onto the balcony and proclaim the iconic “Habemus Papam”—“We have a Pope”—and introduce the pontiff by his new papal name.
Excitement and anticipation are building worldwide as the Catholic Church ushers in a new spiritual leader.
Updates later…
