White
smoke has appeared
above the
Sistine Chapel
, signaling to everyone that the private gathering has made its selection
Pope Francis
‘s successor.
Millions are now anticipating the announcement of the new leader of the Catholic Church following the decision made on Thursday.
133 cardinals convened in the Sistine Chapel for the historical ballot.
.
At 4:30 PM local time on Wednesday, they gathered in the 15th-century chapel for the initial vote, which did not yield a conclusive result. However, after convening for three additional rounds of voting, they achieved a two-thirds majority, indicated by the appearance of white smoke around 6 PM local time on Thursday.
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The announcement of the significant choice ignited celebrations among the devoted gathering in St. Peter’s Square, with numerous attendees having journeyed from abroad to join in this moment and witness the outcome.
The identity of the pope and the name he has chosen as pontiff will be announced to the world from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica shortly.
The newly elected pope will subsequently come forward to deliver his inaugural public speech and bestow his initial blessing upon the assembled crowd.
Chiara Pironen, a 26-year-old resident of Rome, was among those anticipating the result, an event that would shape world events amid a time marked by considerable geopolitical turbulence.
She mentioned, ‘I don’t wish to be absent from that instant.’
Pope Francis passed away on April 21 following more than ten years as the leader of the Church. His burial took place on April 26.
This is the biggest and most varied gathering ever held to select a new pope in its long history, featuring delegates appointed by Pope Francis from as many as 70 different nations.
On Wednesday morning, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re stated during the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica that the selection of a new pope “does not represent merely a change from one individual to another” as he delivered his homily.
He encouraged the cardinals to pray for a pope who can “best stir the consciousness of everyone and unleash moral and spiritual vigor in contemporary society.”
“Let the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church, use her loving intercession to guide the minds of the Cardinals as they choose the new Pope. May the Holy Spirit illuminate their thoughts and assist them in selecting the leader our times require,” he stated.
Although the gathering for Pope Francis took place over two days, the longest papal conclave ever recorded stretched out for almost three years during the election of Pope Gregory X back in 1271. This particular event holds historical significance as being the first one in recent times, based on information from EWTN Vatican.
After a cardinal secures the necessary 89 votes, they are questioned about their acceptance of the position. Upon giving an affirmative response, they must then select a papal name.
Next, he is led to a modest room adjacent to the Sistine Chapel known as the “Chamber of Tears,” so christened due to the profound emotion tied to the immense duty awaiting him, before dressing in the white papal garments here.
Right afterwards, the newly elected Pope makes their first appearance before the public from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as they announce in Latin: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam!” (“I declare unto you glad news: We have a pope!”)
Multiple contenders have come forward as potential successors to Pope Francis, with notable figures being his chief adviser Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the progressive Filipino leader Luis Antonio Tagle, often referred to as “Asian Francis.”
However, multiple conservative contenders are also vying for the position, such as Hungarian traditionalist Péter Erdő and Congolese Cardinal Fridolin AmbONGO BesUNGU.
The front-runners were all familiar with the Italian saying, “He who goes into a conclave as a pope comes out as a cardinal.”
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