BREAKING: Catholic Church elects American Robert Prevost as new Pope Leo XIV

White smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Thursday, May 8, 2025, indicating that cardinals locked inside had elected a new Pope to succeed the late Pope Francis.

This development ended an anxious wait for over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, who had been expecting the election of a new leader.

White smoke billowed from the chimney, and bells began to ring, drawing cheers and applause from thousands of pilgrims and curious onlookers in St Peter’s Square.

During an announcement from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, the Chruch introduced its new leader as a 69-year-old American, Robert Prevost, who chose Leo XIV as his papal name.

As per tradition, the new pontiff was introduced in Latin with his chosen papal name and addressed the world for the first time.

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This moment arrived after some 133 “Princes of the Church” from five continents, representing the largest conclave ever, began voting on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

The delegates, who had sworn to secrecy on pain of excommunication, could only communicate their progress to the outside world by sending smoke through the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.

Black smoke had appeared on Wednesday evening and again on Thursday lunchtime, emitting disappointed sighs from the tens of thousands watching.

But the big moment arrived on Thursday afternoon (1600 GMT) when the smoke emitted was white, confirming that the Church has picked a new spiritual leader.

Leo XIV will undergo a series of traditional rites, starting with entering the Room of Tears, where freshly elected popes give free rein to their emotions, to put on a papal cassock for the first time.

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After that, he will return to the Sistine Chapel so the cardinals can pledge their obedience. He will appear on the balcony along with a senior cardinal, who will announce to the waiting crowds, “Habemus Papem” (“We have a pope”).

The pope will then give a short speech and impart his first “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) blessing.