White smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, 8 May 2025, signalling to the world that the Roman Catholic Church had elected a new pope—the 267th pontiff in its over 2,000-year history.
The dramatic moment marked the conclusion of the secretive papal conclave, in which the College of Cardinals, gathered from across the globe, selected the successor to Pope Francis, who resigned earlier this year due to health reasons.
As thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square, the traditional Latin declaration “Habemus Papam” (“We have a Pope”) was expected to follow shortly from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, revealing the identity of the new leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
The name of the new pope had not yet been announced at the time of the signal, but speculation had centred on several high-ranking cardinals, including Cardinal Dominique Mamberti of France, who, as senior cardinal deacon, would normally be the one to make the announcement—unless he was the chosen pontiff himself.
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The newly elected pope is expected to deliver his first apostolic blessing, “Urbi et Orbi” (to the City and to the World), during his inaugural appearance from the balcony.
This conclave, the first of its kind since the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, was closely watched around the world, with Catholics and observers eager to see the direction the Church might take under new leadership. Key challenges awaiting the new pontiff include revitalising faith among younger generations, addressing ongoing calls for reform, and strengthening the Church’s moral authority in a rapidly changing world.
As anticipation builds for the formal introduction, bells rang out from St Peter’s Basilica and global news outlets turned their focus to the Vatican, awaiting the historic moment that would define the future of the Catholic Church.
The identity and chosen papal name of the new pontiff will be confirmed in the coming hours.
