The Catholic Church Has a New Pope

White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that a pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church, per the AP. That means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The crowd in St. Peter's Square erupted in cheers. The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words "Habemus papam!" Latin for "We have a pope!" from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner's birth name in Latin, and reveals the name he has chosen to be called. The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impart a blessing from the same loggia.

The successful vote follows two rounds in which the cardinals failed to settle on a name. As they voted on Thursday, large school groups joined the mix of humanity awaiting the outcome in St. Peter's Square. They blended in with people participating in preplanned Holy Year pilgrimages and journalists from around the world who have descended on Rome to document the election.

(More Catholic Church stories.)