White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that a pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church.
The winner of the conclave secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the vote to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
The name of the new leader of the Catholic Churchis to be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words “Habemus Papam!” — Latin for “We have a pope!” — from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The cardinal then reads the winner’s birth name in Latin, and reveals the name he has chosen to be called. The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impart a blessing from the same loggia.
The 133 Roman Catholic cardinals gathered inside the Vatican had completed the complex and secretive process of selecting a new pope. Follow our live coverage for the latest developments.
Bells and cheers at Vatican greet white smoke for pope.
White smoke billows from Sistine Chapel, signalling new pope elected
Cardinals met in secret for the papal conclave’s second day as they sought to elect a new pontiff to succeed Pope Francis. The conclave opened at the Vatican on Wednesday afternoon but the first rounds of voting resulted in black smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.
Church leaders hope that the new pope will be able to unite a diverse but divided institution that boasts some 1.4 billion faithful across the globe.
FRANCE24
