BREAKING: New Pope Elected – New York Catholics Rejoice

The conclave has made a decision and as white smoke appears in the sky above Vatican City there is officially a new Pope.

The conclave only began on Wednesday May 7, 2025. That would be 16 days after the death of Pope Francis, who passed away from a stroke on Easter Monday. It only took a little more than a day for the conclave to come to their decision, which requires a two thirds vote

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While the new identify of the Pope has finally been revealed! Robert Francis Prevost has been named the new Pope, according to WNYT/NBC News. Those who believe in the Catholic religion anxiously awaited the reveal.

Thousands have gathered outside of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to await the decision and were greeted with a nice surprise today as the vote came in.

Pope Francis served as the leader of the Catholic Church since he was elected in 2013, taking over for Pope Benedict XVI, who stepped down. Pope Benedict XVI passed away in 2022.

This is an ongoing story and we will continue to update it as we get more information. 

What is a conclave?

The papal conclave gathers only have a pope retires or passes away to elect a new Pope. Cardinals from around the world gather in Italy to vote on who they think will be the best candidate to lead the Catholic Church. This process begins 16 days after the retirement or death of the current Pope. There is no set time limit on how long it will take them to reach this decision.

This is the process that has been used to elect the Catholic leader since 1059, though over the years there has been amendments and refinement to the process.