The Vatican’s wait ends as the Cardinals announce Robert Francis Prevost as the new Pope of the Catholic church.
Robert Francis Prevost becomes the 267th Pope and new leader of the Roman Catholic Church following an official announcement from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, 8 May 2025.
The 133 Roman Catholic cardinals gathered inside the Vatican for the complex and secretive process of selecting a new leader. The white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday signalled its end.
View this post on Instagram
This conclave, which followed the death of the previous Pope, Pope Francis, required a two-thirds majority to elect a new leader for the Catholic Church.
The cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, May 7, to start the conclave. Subsequently, they sequestered themselves, barring external contact with the outside world. They implemented this strict isolation to allow them to focus solely on God’s will and the Church’s needs.
The world watched the Sistine Chapel’s chimney with anticipation. Meanwhile, the cardinals cast votes on Wednesday evening. However, they didn’t reach a decision. Consequently, black smoke billowed from the chimney, signalling the outcome.
The new leader, Robert Francis Prevost, is the first American in history to be elected as Pope of the Catholic Church.
The Church will hail him as Pope Leo XIV, and he will lead 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
