The Catholic Church has a new pope - white smoke billows from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signifying that a conclave of 133 cardinals elected a new leader for the world's 1,4 billion Catholics on Thursday.
The new pope is due to appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica within the hour, after a Church official announces "Habemus Papam" — "We have a Pope" — and pronounces the new pontiff's name in Latin.
The Pope will then give a short speech and give the first "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and the World") blessing.
According to tradition, the newly elected pope goes to the so-called Room of Tears, where he can freely express his emotions and dons the papal cassock for the first time. After that, he returns to the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals swear allegiance to him.
The conclave was called after Pope Francis died last month at the age of 88.
Thousands of pilgrims and onlookers gathered in St. Peter's Square on Thursday, clapping as white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that the Catholic Church had elected its 267th pope.
Smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel chimney shortly after 18 p.m. local time (19 p.m. Lithuanian time).
Immediately after that, the bells rang.
Now the eyes of the world are on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where the new pope, the successor to the Argentine reformer Francis, will appear later Thursday.
The new pontiff will be introduced in Latin, using his chosen papal title, and will address the faithful for the first time.
However, the new pope will have an important task: he will not only have to express his moral opinion in a world torn by conflict, but also address the Church's pressing problems - from the consequences of the sexual abuse scandal to the management of the Vatican's finances.
The largest and most international conclave of 133 cardinals began on Wednesday afternoon.
The cardinals came from 70 countries on five continents.
Earlier on Thursday, the second and third votes of cardinals in the conclave that elects the pope ended inconclusively.
The New Pope: Leo XIV
American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became pope on Thursday, taking the name Leo XIV.
French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti made the announcement from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
