New Pope Elected After Death of Francis

White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signaling that the 133 cardinals have elected a new pope to succeed the late Pope Francis, who died on April 21 after 12 years as pontiff. Thousands in St Peter’s Square celebrated as the basilica’s bells rang to confirm the decision. The identity of the new pope has not yet been announced but will soon be revealed from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti with the traditional 'Habemus Papam.' This conclave, the largest and most diverse in history with cardinals from 70 countries, required at least 89 votes to elect the 267th pope. The Church now awaits the new pontiff’s first public appearance and blessing, which will help determine the direction of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. Observers note that the cardinals faced the choice of continuing Francis’ progressive reforms or shifting to a more conservative path.