Bells of St Peter’s ring out and thousands of pilgrims and tourists applaud in Vatican City

Thick white smoke billowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signalling to the world that the Roman Catholic church has a new pope.

The smoke was met with loud applause from the thousands of pilgrims and tourists waiting in St Peter’s Square. It means that one of the 133 cardinals inside the chapel has obtained the necessary two-thirds majority required to win the conclave, the secretive centuries-old ritual of electing a new pontiff.

In a further confirmation that the conclave is over, the bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out. The pope was chosen on the second day of voting, after the fourth ballot, although his identity was not immediately made known. When Jorge Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis, was elected in March 2013, his identity was revealed about 45 minutes after the white smoke when he appeared on the balcony above St Peter’s Square.