Vatican City – White smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, signaling the successful election of a new pope by the College of Cardinals, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Roman Catholic Church.
After several days of intense deliberations behind closed doors, 133 cardinal-electors, sequestered in a conclave within the Vatican, reached the required two-thirds majority to elect the next spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics worldwide.
The identity of the newly elected pope remains undisclosed but will be revealed when he steps onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver the traditional Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) blessing—his first public appearance as pontiff.
“White smoke! The 133 Cardinal electors gathered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have elected the new Pope. He will appear soon at the central window of St. Peter’s Basilica,” Vatican News announced via X (formerly Twitter).
This election comes in the wake of the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, after a long period of declining health. He died peacefully in his residence at Casa Santa Marta within the Vatican.
A funeral Mass in his honour was held on Saturday, April 26, drawing world leaders, clergy, and thousands of faithful pilgrims to St. Peter’s Square to pay their final respects.
The new pope will be expected to guide the Church through a complex global landscape, addressing issues ranging from internal reforms to climate change, geopolitical conflict, and the role of faith in an increasingly secular world.
