New Pope Elected: White Smoke Rises Over Vatican
posted 8th May 2025
New Pope Elected: White Smoke Rises Over Vatican
Vatican City, 8 May 2025 – Jubilant cheers echoed across St. Peter’s Square as white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, announcing the election of a new pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church. The traditional signal, observed on Thursday evening, confirmed that a candidate had secured the necessary two-thirds majority—requiring at least 89 votes from the 133 cardinals gathered in the secretive conclave.
The emergence of white smoke, a centuries-old symbol of a successful papal election, marked the culmination of intense deliberations within the Vatican. Crowds, braving the spring chill, erupted in celebration as the sky above St. Peter’s Basilica filled with the telltale plumes, captured vividly by onlookers and broadcast worldwide.
The identity of the new pontiff remains unknown for now, but anticipation is building for the time-honoured ceremony to follow. A senior cardinal will soon appear on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to proclaim “Habemus papam!”—Latin for “We have a pope!”—before announcing the new pope’s birth name in Latin and the papal name he has chosen. The newly elected leader is then expected to step onto the balcony, offering his first public blessing to the faithful gathered below.
The conclave, steeped in tradition and secrecy, underscores the significance of this moment for the global Catholic community. As the world awaits the revelation of the new pope, the white smoke serves as a powerful symbol of hope and continuity for the Church’s 1.4 billion followers.
