White Smoke at the Vatican: New Pope Has Been Chosen

By Hastings Yobe

Excitement filled the air in St. Peter’s Square today as white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 6:08 p.m. (CEST), showing the world that a new pope has been chosen.

This comes just a few weeks after the death of Pope Francis on April 21. The special meeting of cardinals, known as a conclave, began on May 7 and ended quickly after just four rounds of voting.

Out of 133 cardinals who took part, at least 89 had to agree on the same person to elect a new pope. That’s the rule for choosing the next leader of the Catholic Church.

As soon as the white smoke appeared, bells rang from St. Peter’s Basilica and the crowd of thousands celebrated, knowing that a new chapter had begun for the Church.

The new pope will now be asked if he accepts the role and will choose a name he wants to be known by. He will then change into his papal robes in a room called the “Room of Tears” before stepping out onto the balcony to greet the world.

The Church’s senior cardinal will soon appear and say the famous words, “Habemus Papam” — which means “We have a pope.” Everyone is now waiting to see who the new leader of the Catholic Church is.

Stay tuned — the big reveal is coming soon.