New Pope Appointed
VATICAN CITY – White smoke billowed from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to show that a new pope to succeed the retired Benedict XVI had been elected. The smoke came at 1808 GMT after 115 cardinals held five rounds of voting over two days, and the great bells of St Peter’s basilica began ringing soon after. White smoke billowing from the chimney Tens of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter’s Square cheered and the bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out after the 115 cardinals meeting in a Vatican conclave signalled their momentous decision. The 266th pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000- year history — his identity is still a secret — was due to emerge from the balcony of the basilica. The crowd chanted “Habemus Papam!” (“We Have a Pope!”) as they waited, waving flags from around the world. Cardinals have been locked up behind the Vatican walls and cut off from the outside world since Tuesday, meeting in a sublime Renaissance chapel