White Smoke Rises as Cardinals Elect New Pope at the Vatican

A new chapter in Catholic Church history has begun as white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, signaling the successful election of a new pope by the College of Cardinals.

The momentous announcement followed several days of closed-door deliberations within the Vatican, where 133 cardinal-electors gathered in conclave to choose the successor to Pope Francis.

While the identity of the newly elected pope remains undisclosed, Vatican tradition dictates that he will soon step onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to give his first public blessing and be officially introduced to the world.

“White smoke! The 133 Cardinal electors gathered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have elected the new Pope. He will appear soon at the central window of St. Peter’s Basilica,” the Vatican News tweeted.

This papal election comes shortly after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. He passed away at his residence in Casa Santa Marta after a prolonged illness.

Pope Francis’ funeral mass took place on Saturday, April 26, in St. Peter’s Square, after which he was buried at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, fulfilling his personal wish to rest outside the Vatican grounds.

As crowds of the faithful gather in St. Peter’s Square, united in hope and prayer, the world awaits the official unveiling of the next spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church—an event set to shape the Church’s future in the years to come.