White smoke signals election of new pope in Vatican City
A new pope has been chosen to guide the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, as white smoke rose today from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new pope. The name of the newly elected pontiff is expected to be announced shortly, when he steps out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to address the faithful for the first time.
The decision comes after a secretive papal conclave, during which 133 red-robed cardinals from across the globe gathered in seclusion to vote on the successor to the papacy. The cardinals, cut off entirely from the outside world, convened in the Sistine Chapel—beneath Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes—where they cast their ballots in successive rounds until one candidate secured the necessary two-thirds majority.
The conclave is a centuries-old tradition rooted in Catholic history, aimed at ensuring a prayerful and confidential environment for one of the Church’s most momentous decisions. The ritual of the white smoke, created by burning the ballots with special chemicals, has long served as a visible signal to the world that a new pope has been chosen.
As crowds gather in St. Peter’s Square in anticipation, all eyes now turn to the basilica’s central balcony, where the new pope will soon be introduced with the traditional words: “Habemus Papam”—“We have a pope.”
