White smoke finally billowed from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday afternoon, signaling to the world that the papal conclave has chosen a new pope to succeed Pope Francis, who died last month.
The College of Cardinals is expected to shortly reveal the name of the person who will become the next leader of the worldwide Catholic Church and he’ll make his first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s.
The election came after the papal conclave began Wednesday and two inconclusive rounds of voting this morning.
It was not immediately clear if the election was after four ballots or five ballots, but either way, it would be in line with recent history. Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005 after four ballots in two days while Pope Francis was elected after five ballots in two days in 2013.
