White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel while the bells of St. Peter’s tolled, marking the election of a new Pope to succeed Pope Francis and lead the Roman Catholic Church.
This election took place on the first full day of voting by the 133 cardinal electors, who sequestered themselves behind the ancient walls of the Vatican yesterday afternoon.
A jubilant crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers and applause as the initial wisps of smoke appeared from a small chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals have been casting their secret ballots.
The name of the new Pope and his chosen papal name will be announced to the world from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica shortly.
The new Pope will then step forward to give his first public address and blessing to the waiting crowds.
Pope Francis passed away on April 21 after leading the 1.4 billion-member Church for 12 years. Throughout his tenure, he aimed to modernize the traditional institution, implementing a variety of reforms and encouraging dialogue on contentious issues like women’s ordination and enhanced inclusion of LGBT Catholics.
While no clear frontrunners had emerged to replace him, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican’s deputy under Francis, and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle were seen as leading candidates.
People react to the white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new Pope at the Vatican.
Other potential papal candidates—often referred to as “papabili” in Italian—included France’s Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost, Italy’s Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Filipino Pablo Virgilio David.
The cardinals faced a choice: to select someone who would continue Francis’ vision of increased openness and reform, or to opt for a more conservative leader.
During the conclave, their only means of communication with the outside world was through the smoke from the chimney—black signaling no Pope had yet been elected, and white indicating that a new pontiff had been chosen by a two-thirds majority.
Crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, awaiting the announcement of a new Pope.
The cardinals held an inconclusive initial vote yesterday evening and two additional votes followed this morning. They returned to the Sistine Chapel at 3 PM Irish time, and at approximately 5:10 PM Irish time, the white smoke was visible.
Throughout the conclave, the cardinals were isolated from the outside world and bound by secrecy; their phones and computers were confiscated, and they were transported between the Sistine Chapel for voting and two guesthouses within the Vatican for lodging and meals.
The average number of ballots required to elect a Pope over the past 10 conclaves has been 7.2, with Francis being chosen after five votes in 2013.
Read more: Follow live updates | By the numbers: The arithmetic behind the papal conclave | Irish at conclave: What they hope to see in the new Pope
