Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on the second day of the conclave. His papal name is Pope Leo XIV.
Onlookers learned that a new pope had been picked after white smoke rose from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel on the afternoon of Thursday, May 8, signaling that the voting cardinals had come to a two-thirds consensus. The pick came just two weeks after the death of Pope Francis.
On day one of the conclave, which began on Wednesday, May 7, the first vote ended in black smoke billowing from the chimney in the evening. The morning vote on Thursday, May 8, which included two ballots, also ended in black smoke, indicating that a new pope had not been elected. But finally, during the first afternoon vote on Thursday, white smoke poured out from the chimney, signaling that a new pope had been selected.
A short time later, the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals came out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and announced “habemus papum,” which means “we have a pope.”
Prevost then stepped out onto the balcony for the first time — and his first words were “peace be with you.”
