On Thursday evening, just after 6:00 PM Central European Summer Time, white smoke rose from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling to the world that a new pope had been chosen by the College of Cardinals in Vatican City.
Crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square erupted with cheers and applause upon seeing the traditional plume of white smoke—an age-old sign that a consensus had been reached within the secretive papal conclave.
To be elected, the new Pope required a two-thirds majority—equivalent to 89 votes—from the 133 cardinals eligible to cast ballots.
As tradition dictates, the announcement of the new pontiff’s identity will be made by the Cardinal Protodeacon, who is expected to appear on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He will proclaim the chosen cardinal’s name and the papal name under which he will serve.
While the exact interval between the smoke signal and the formal announcement is not fixed, it typically lasts about an hour. In 2013, when Pope Francis was elected, the name was revealed just over an hour after the white smoke appeared.
This election took place on the evening of the conclave’s second day, following two unsuccessful voting rounds earlier in the morning, which had been marked by black smoke emerging from the same chimney, indicating no decision had yet been reached.
