Nuns watch the chimney on the Sistine Chapel at St Peter’s Square on May 8, 2025. Photo/Reuters
The journey to the white smoke — the centuries-old signal that a new pope has been elected — began on April 28, when the Vatican announced that the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis would convene on May 7.
At exactly 6:07pm last evening, white smoke billowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, signalling that the cardinals had chosen the 267th pope. Moments later, the Vatican confirmed that American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost had been elected. He chose the papal name Leo XIV. Pope Francis died unexpectedly on Easter Monday, prompting the College of Cardinals to begin preparations for the election of a new pontiff.
The conclave began on Wednesday inside the Sistine Chapel, culminating in yesterday’s decision. A conclave — from the Latin cum clave, meaning “with key” — refers to the secret assembly of cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to elect a pope. This year, 133 cardinals qualified to vote, up from 115 during the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.
They included 52 from Europe, 23 from Asia, 17 from both Africa and South America, 16 from North America, and four each from Central America and Oceania. The process began with a solemn televised Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals, who also presided over Pope Francis’ funeral.
After the Mass, the cardinals were sequestered in the Sistine Chapel, where they were cut off from all outside communication. Mobile signals were jammed, phones and computers surrendered — a centuries-old effort to preserve the secrecy and sanctity of the papal election. A black puff of smoke on Wednesday evening indicated no pope had yet been chosen. Thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square waited patiently, even overnight, for a resolution.
By Thursday, the cardinals resumed voting. To elect a new pope, a two-thirds majority — at least 89 votes out of 133 — is required. Ballots are burned after each round. If no candidate reaches the threshold, the process continues until one does. In 2013, when Pope Francis was elected on the second day, the College of Cardinals reached a decision on Day Two. By evening, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang and cheers erupted from the crowd below as the white smoke rose. CNN reported that the American-born cardinal, now Pope Leo XIV, was chosen during the third round of voting. The 69-year-old Chicago native now assumes leadership of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, stepping into a role shaped by deepening divisions, global challenges, and high expectations.
Significance
During a papal conclave, the ballots are burned after each voting session. If no pope is elected, the ballots are traditionally mixed with chemicals to produce black smoke, signaling an inconclusive vote. When a new pope is elected, the ballots are burned with different chemicals, creating white smoke, —a signal to the world that the Catholic Church has a new leader.
