White smoke signals a new pope has been chosen at the Vatican
White smoke rises from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel, indicating that a new pope has been elected at the Vatican on May 8, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Yara Nardi)
VATICAN CITY: White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel in the early evening of Thursday (May 8), signalling that the cardinals locked in a conclave have now chosen a new pope to guide the Roman Catholic Church.
The 133 cardinals under the age of 80 began the heavily ritualised and secret process on Wednesday, shut away in complete isolation as they pick a successor to the late Pope Francis.
They burn their ballot papers and mix them with chemicals to show how proceedings are going - black signalling no pope chosen yet, and white announcing a new pontiff.
Thousands of faithful were waiting in St Peter's Square and were greeted with bells ringing out from St Peter's Basilica, confirming a new pope has been chosen.
"Francis was a great guy, down to earth, humble, and I hope they will choose someone just like him," said Tom Barbitta, from the US state of North Carolina. He is on holiday in Italy with his wife Susan, and came to the square to see the smoke.
No pope in modern times has been elected on the first attempt, so black smoke on Wednesday was widely expected. But white smoke on day two signals a quick decision on who will be the next leader of the Roman Catholic church.
Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected on the evening of the second day of the last conclave, held in 2013, as was his predecessor, Benedict XVI, in 2005.
GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY
A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries are involved in the 2025 ballot, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave - growth that reflects efforts by Francis to extend the global reach of the Church.
The new pope has not been announced yet, but Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners.
Other "papabili" - potential papal candidates in Italian - are France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost, Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Filipino Pablo Virgilio David.
During the conclave, cardinals are sequestered from the world and sworn to secrecy, their phones and computers confiscated, while they are shuttled between the Sistine Chapel for voting and two Vatican guesthouses to sleep and dine.
Before the conclave began, some cardinals offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pope. Francis' relatively liberal pontificate was marked by bitter divisions between traditionalists and modernisers.
Some have urged continuity with his vision of greater openness and reform, while others long to turn the clock back and embrace fading traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured papacy.
