The smoke from the third ballot of the Conclave to elect Francis’ successor came out white at 6:08 pm, indicating that the new pope has been elected, with a majority of at least 89 votes, on the second day of the Conclave.
He will be the 267th Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
The name of Peter’s successor will be known in a few more minutes, when the cardinal protodeacon, Dominique Mamberti (if he is not the chosen one), will announce the long-awaited “Habemus Papam” and the name of the Pontiff, who will come out onto the balcony to greet the faithful.
In these minutes that pass between the moment the white smoke appears and the moment the “Habemus Papam” is heard, the new pope goes into the “Room of Tears” to dress and returns to the Sistine Chapel to celebrate a small ceremony with a prayer and a passage from the Gospel.
At that moment, all the cardinals demonstrate their obedience to the new Pope and then sing the Te Deum. Additionally, for the first time, the new Pontiff will go to the Pauline Chapel to pray for a few minutes.
Like Benedict XVI
The election of the new pope took two days and four votes, just like Benedict XVI in 2005.
In the case of Pope Francis in 2013, it also took two days and five votes.