After two days of voting, white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney indicates a new leader of the Catholic Church has been elected.
Hope and conjecture as identity of new pope to be announced soon
“I’m rooting for Pizzaballa because I just like him instinctively, even though my all-time favorite is Matteo Zuppi,” says Patrizia Giudice, 65, a retired public administration official.
This isn’t her first conclave: “From John Paul to Francis, this is my third conclave. I only missed the one when Benedict was elected because my daughter was little, and I still haven’t forgiven myself for that.”
“I just hope he won’t be a conservative—there’s really no sense in taking steps backward in 2025. If the new Pope turns out to be the Hungarian cardinal, I’m leaving the square—I won’t even wait for him to speak.”
Crowd continues to swell as people rush to St. Peter’s Square before the new pope’s name is announced
Via della Conciliazione, the Vatican’s main avenue, is full of people running to the St. Peter Square to see the new pope.
Roberta Meloni, 47, is shouting “Habemus Papam” while holding her daughter’s hand. They have been at the square since morning.
“We loved Francis, and we expect a young Pope who can engage young people. We expected so few votes because the Church needs a new pontiff, as the absence of Francis was deeply felt,” Meloni said.
New York couple ‘wanted to be here for this monumental moment’
On hearing the news that the new pope had been chosen Nicole and Ryan, a couple from New York, immediately came down to Saint Peter’s Square.
“We knew we wanted to be here for this monumental moment,” Nicole told NBC News’ Molly Hunter. “We were here on chance, so we had to make it down here.”
Ryan added it all seemed so “surreal,” but it reminded him of Times Square on New Year’s.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s just truly amazing. … To see the white smoke now, it’s amazing,” he said. “The amount of people that come here from all sorts of different countries to just see this amazing moment. It’s truly surreal. You see all the flags, it’s really a beautiful moment,” he added.
‘Habemus Papam!’ The declaration of a new pope, translated
The world will learn who has been elected pope when Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announces his name from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
He identifies the new pope by his given name, with his first name translated into its Latin version, and then announces the pontiff’s newly chosen papal name.
According to tradition, Cardinal Mamberti says in Latin:
“Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum” — I announce to you news of great joy.
“Habemus Papam!” — We have a pope!
“Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum (first name) Sanctae Romanae Ecclesia Cardinalem (surname)” — He is the most eminent and reverend Lord Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church (name).
“Qui sibi nomen imposuit (papal name).” — who has taken the name …
In recent conclaves, the balcony appearance of the new pope has followed shortly after the “Habemus Papam.”
White smoke and a new pope
Habemus Papam! White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney this afternoon, announcing the election of a new leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Crowds in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers as bells pealed from the towering basilica, confirming that the 133 cardinal electors who have been sequestered inside since Wednesday had reached a two-thirds majority decision on who will succeed Pope Francis.
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The new pope’s identity will be revealed shortly by Dominique Mamberti, the senior cardinal deacon, who convention says will appear on the St. Peter’s balcony that overlooks the square and announce, “Habemus Papam” — “We have a pope.”
Inside the Vatican’s cloistered halls, the new pontiff will be preparing to adopt his papal name — which can indicate what kind of pope he intends to be — before donning a freshly tailored white papal cassock and the ceremonial fisherman’s ring.
He will then be led through the Hall of Benedictions and out onto the balcony, known as the Loggia of the Blessings, where his identity will be revealed to the thousands gathered below and the millions more around the world who have closely watched the conclave.
Two votes, one smoke expected for this afternoon
According to general guidance issued by the Vatican, the third vote should currently be underway, beginning at around 5:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET). A fourth is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET). In the past, it has taken at least an hour and possibly more for each vote to conclude, and the Vatican’s guidance is subject to change.
Typically, there is no smoke for each of the four votes. Black smoke billows after a pair of inconclusive votes, while white smoke will immediately billow if a new pontiff is chosen.
The conclave is an election like no other
The conclave is unlike any other election, and not just because of its sacred or spiritual dimension.
Officially, there is no open campaigning or polling, and in this election, hardly any indication about whether there are any leading contenders for the next pope. The candidates do not declare themselves publicly, nor do the cardinal-electors speak on the record about who they might vote for.
The voting results are not made public, either. A conclave has often been referred to as one of the few occasions where it is hard to predict the internal dynamics, especially given the diverse and larger-than-ever nature of this group of cardinals.
Air of anticipation as people line up for smoke watch at St. Peter’s Square
The security line outside the square is far busier than it was yesterday.
There is an air of anticipation, a chance this could be the one, with the cardinals inside taking their fourth and fifth votes since this process began.
How much longer will it take to elect a new pope?
If you’re just joining us, it’s day two of the conclave and if history is any guide, it may not be too much longer before we have a new pope. Here’s a look at the last few conclaves and how long they took to come to a decision:
- In 2013, Pope Francis was elected after five ballots over two days.
- In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI was elected after four votes in two days.
- In 1978, Pope John Paul II was elected after eight ballots and three days.
In fact, there hasn’t been a conclave that lasted for more than four days since Pope Pius XI was elected in 1922 after five days.
Let’s see how today’s second set of votes pans out.