A new era begins for the Catholic Church.
On Thursday afternoon, May 8, 2025, white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of the 267th pope.
The billowing smoke sent waves of celebration through St. Peter’s Square, where thousands of faithful had gathered in anticipation.
The signal confirmed that the College of Cardinals, after days of deliberation, had reached a consensus.
The identity of the newly elected pontiff remains under wraps until he appears on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver his first blessing.
He will succeed Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.
According to Vatican protocol, the pope-elect has already been asked the formal question:
“Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?”
Upon accepting, he chose his papal name and completed the official documentation.
He was then led to the Room of Tears — a chamber adjacent to the Sistine Chapel — where he donned the papal cassock for the first time.
The announcement “Habemus Papam” (Latin for “We have a pope”) will soon be declared by the Cardinal Protodeacon from the balcony, introducing the new pontiff to the world.
Immediately following this momentous announcement, the new pope will offer the traditional Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) blessing — his first act as the leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.
This marks the official end of the 2025 conclave, which began on May 7 with 133 cardinal-electors under the age of 80 casting ballots in secrecy inside the Sistine Chapel.
The Church, now looking ahead under new spiritual leadership, awaits the vision and direction of the man chosen to guide it through one of the most complex periods in modern history.
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