VATICA CITY
GMA News (Philippines)
White smoke rose from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday 2:04 a.m. PHL time, indicating that Roman Catholic cardinals voting in a secret conclave had elected the successor of Pope Benedict XVI. The identity of the new pope will be known shortly.
Once a new pope has been elected, he is asked if he accepts and by which name he wishes to be known. The ballots are burned with an additive to produce white smoke.
In 2005, the Vatican decided to ring the great bell of St Peter’s Basilica as an additional sign that the pope had been chosen. But confusion among the people who were supposed to ring it meant the bell lagged the smoke by about 15 munutes.
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