By Reuters
The election came on the first full day of voting by the 133 cardinal electors, who secluded themselves behind the Vatican’s medieval walls on Wednesday afternoon. Cardinal Robert Prevost of the US was elected as the first American pontiff in history.
White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Thursday and the bells of St Peter’s rang out, signalling that cardinals have elected a new pope to succeed Pope Francis and take charge of the Roman Catholic Church.
A joyous crowd in St Peter’s Square cheered and applauded as the first puffs of smoke emerged from a small chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals have been holding their secret ballot.
The identity of the pope and the name he has chosen as pontiff will be announced to the world from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica shortly.
The new pope will then step forward to deliver his first public address and blessing to the gathered crowds.
Pope Francis died on 21 April after ruling the 1.4-billion-member Church for 12 years. During his reign, he sought to open up the staid institution to the modern world, enacting a range of reforms and allowing debate on divisive issues such as women’s ordination and better inclusion of LGBT Catholics.
While no clear favourites had emerged to succeed him, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican’s number two under Francis, and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle were considered as the frontrunners.
Other “papabili” – potential papal candidates in Italian – were France’s Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost, Italy’s Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Filipino Pablo Virgilio David.
The cardinals will have had to decide whether to pick someone to build on Francis’ vision of greater openness and reform, or else choose a more conservative figure.
During the conclave, their only communication with the outside world was through the smoke emerging from the chimney – black for no pope yet picked, white signalling a new pontiff chosen by a majority of at least two-thirds.
The cardinals held an initial inconclusive vote on Wednesday evening and a further two followed on Thursday morning. They returned to the Sistine Chapel at 4pm and at around 6:08pm, the white smoke emerged.
During the conclave, cardinals were sequestered from the world and sworn to secrecy, their phones and computers confiscated, while they were shuttled between the Sistine Chapel for voting and two Vatican guesthouses to sleep and dine.
The average number of ballots it has taken to be elected over the past 10 conclaves was 7.2. Francis was elected after five in 2013.
Who is Cardinal Robert Prevost?
Prevost, 69, an American who has spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru, is a relative unknown on the global stage. Made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023, he has given few media interviews and rarely speaks in public.
Originally from Chicago, he has attracted interest from his peers because of his quiet style and support for Francis’ 12-year papacy, especially his commitment to social justice issues.
Prevost served as a bishop in Chiclayo, in northwestern Peru, from 2015 to 2023.
Francis brought him to Rome that year to head the Vatican office in charge of choosing which priests should serve as Catholic bishops across the globe, meaning he has had a hand in selecting many of the world’s bishops.
Prevost said during a 2023 Vatican press conference: “Our work is to enlarge the tent and to let everyone know they are welcome inside the Church.”
