The new Pope is the American Robert Francis Prevost: he will be called Leo XIV. "Peace be with you all, help us build bridges"

"At this moment in history, when so much of the world is ravaged by inhuman conflicts where it is above all the innocent who suffer the harshest consequences of such barbarity, I wish to assure you of the commitment of the Italian Republic to pursue ever more solid relations with the Holy See to continue to promote a vision of the world and of coexistence among peoples based on peace, on the guarantee of inviolable rights and of dignity and freedom for all persons. That peace that Your Holiness strongly evoked in your first message from the loggia of St. Peter's and which is the hope of all humanity'. This is what we read in the message that the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella sent to Leo XIV.

"Italians will look to you as a guide and point of reference, recognising in the Pope and in the Church that spiritual and moral authority that derives from your inexhaustible message of love, charity and hope, which flows from the Word of God". These are some of the words of the letter that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sent to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. 'Italy,' the document continues, 'has an indissoluble bond with the Vicar of Christ. The identity, history and culture of our nation could not be understood outside of what St. John Paul II, in his historic speech to the Italian Parliament, defined as the 'lifeblood' constituted by faith in Christ'.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Pope Leo XIV and expressed confidence in the constructive development of dialogue between Russia and the Vatican. "I am confident that the constructive dialogue and interaction established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us," reads the statement quoted by Tass.

Robert Francis Prevost is the first Augustinian Pope in history.

Robert Francis Prevost is not only the first North American Pope but also the first Pontiff to read a written address. Before him, in fact, Pontiffs used to deliver their first address from the Loggia of the Apostolic Palace simply by word of mouth.

The new Pope, Leo XIV, finished his speech from the loggia of the Apostolic Palace and gave a blessing to the faithful in the square.

Pope Prevost's first prayer was "for world peace". He recalled that today is Our Lady of Pompei and recited a Hail Mary with the faithful in St. Peter's Square.

"Help us also, one another, to build bridges, with dialogue, with encounter, uniting us all to be one people always at peace". Pope Leo XIV said this in his first speech after his election from St Peter's Basilica.

"Thanks to Pope Francis". This is one of the last passages of Pope Leo XIV's speech.

"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. It is an honour to realise that he is the first American pope." This was stated by Donald Trump on his social Truth.

"Peace be with you all". These were the first words of the new Pope.

The election as Pope of the American Robert Francis Prevost, who takes the name Leo XIV, represents the first time for a North American Pope. Prevost, 70 years old next 14 September, is originally from Chicago and was until now prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He is of the Augustinian Order and has had a long missionary experience in Peru, where he was also bishop of Chiclayo.

One hundred thousand people are currently in St. Peter's Square to see the new Pope. This is the estimate of the police on the spot. Since the white smoke, the flow has been steadily increasing.

On Friday 9 May at 3pm, at the prefecture in Rome, the committee for order and security, in the presence of the Prefect of Rome Lamberto Giannini, is scheduled to plan the next steps leading up to the enthronement of the new Pontiff.

The number of people who reached St. Peter's Square to see the new pontiff has risen to over 40,000. This was announced by the police on the spot. The flow, which increased considerably after the white smoke, is still growing.

As soon as the smoke had cleared, the barriers that delimited the square in different areas were opened and then closed again to bring the faithful as close as possible to the blessing loggia before the passage of the bands. While mobile phones, whose line went dead, immortalised every detail of these moments, from the ringing of the festive bells to the band of the Gendarmerie, Swiss Guards and Carabinieri, as they waited to see the new Pope. Helicopters and drones continue to fly over the square and Via della Conciliazione, which is gradually filling up with the faithful.

The 'Habemus Papam' pronounced by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti is expected around 7pm.

The election of the new pontiff, successor to Francis, was among the shortest in the last 150 years: just 4 ballots. Leo XIII, pope who went down in history for his encyclical 'Rerum novarum', was elected in 1878 after only 3 ballots. His successor Pius X, later proclaimed a saint, had to wait 7 ballots before he was invested by the cardinals in 1903. The next conclave was held in 1914 and he became Pope Benedict XV at the tenth attempt.

The band of the Vatican Gendarmerie and the Swiss Guard's guard of honour entered St. Peter's Square immediately after the white smoke with which the election of the 267th Pope in history was announced.

The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris rang festively after the white smoke at St Peter's announced the election of the new Pope, successor to Francis. This was reported by Afp.

"White, white, we have the Pope". The whisper runs through the pews of Santa Maria Maggiore, right next to Francis' tomb. The news is shown on mobile phones. A few moments earlier, the priest had prayed during Mass: "Give your church a pastor". "Unbelievable, we were right here," says an Italian couple.

The now famous Latin formula of 'Habemus Papam', to announce the election of the new Pope to the world, will be pronounced from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica by Cardinal Protodeacon, Dominique Mamberti. The formula 'Habemus Papam', which means 'We have the Pope', in Latin reads in full: 'Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus Papam! Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum [name of the newly elected], Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem [surname of the newly elected], qui sibi nomen imposuit [pontifical name]". In Italian: 'I announce to you a great joy: we have the Pope! The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord [name of the newly elected], Cardinal [surname of the newly elected] of the Holy Roman Church, who has chosen the name of [pontifical name]".

Already 15,000 people have arrived at St Peter's to witness the smoke. This was learnt from the security forces present on the scene. The flow will increase after the white smoke.

White smoke, Pope elected

No 'middle smoke' even at 6pm on the second afternoon of the Conclave convened at the Vatican to elect Pope Francis' successor. The 133 cardinal electors, in the Sistine Chapel, are therefore going to the fifth ballot. The wait is now on for the smoke scheduled to start at 7pm, the second of the day.

Camera, microphone and Starlink kit: several television crews are relying on the internet connection of Elon Musk's company to broadcast the conclave from St Peter's Square, also to avoid the problems linked to the blocking of telephone coverage ordered to ensure the isolation of the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. "At St. Peter's, journalists connect to Starlink for live broadcasts," Andrea Stroppa wrote on X, publishing some photos of the stations for the broadcasters set up inside the square, each equipped with a tripod with an antenna, a square white board, for the high-speed satellite internet connection.

Wars, the relationship with China, the role of women, the Jubilee and the fight against abuse. These are the five first challenges that the new Pope will have to face in the immediate future. Five issues on which Pope Francis has never failed to act concretely. With regard to the theme of the many conflicts in the world, of the 'Third World War in pieces' as Bergoglio called it, the indication is clear: follow the trail left by Francis. In this sense the communiqué issued in the General Congregation on the eve of the start of the Conclave is clear. Ukraine and the Middle East, Sudan and Myanmar. The new Pope, whether conservative or in line with Bergoglio, will not take a step backwards.

The cardinal electors are on their way to the Sistine Chapel for the third ballot session for the election of the 267th Pope in history. After lunch, the cardinals reached the Pauline Chapel for the traditional moment of prayer before entering the Sistine Chapel. Here in the afternoon they will proceed to the fourth and fifth votes, waiting for the new smoke, after the first two black ones of yesterday and this morning. In the event of a positive outcome to the fourth vote, the smoke will be around 5pm. Otherwise there will be a smoke (black or white) around 7pm.

Even while the cardinals are gathered in the Sistine Chapel there is a whole calendar of commitments looming and awaiting the new Pope coming out of the Conclave. It is a dense agenda of deadlines on which the newly-elected Pontiff will be called upon to pronounce from the days immediately following his ascent to the throne of Peter. It is clear that among the very first tasks of the 267th Roman Pontiff is the choice of his most direct collaborators and the leaders of the Curia Dicasteries, the government of the universal Church: thus seeing who to confirm (perhaps because their five-year term has not yet expired) or appoint ex novo for the various sectors, after all appointments - starting with that of the Secretary of State, and except for a very few - expired with the death of Pope Francis. Another decision to be made very soon, for the Pope, will be whether to confirm the trip that Bergoglio was supposed to make to Turkey before the end of the month for the anniversary of the Council of Nicea: a very important appointment on the ecumenical level, for which the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew had always taken Francis' presence for certain, then cancelled due to illness. The trip has however been prepared, and the new Pope will only have to decide whether to go personally, as the first trip of the pontificate, or whether to send a delegate. Among the other appointments to be fixed are those concerning canonisations that have been suspended, first and foremost that of Carlo Acutis, the millennial 'patron saint of the web', which was to take place on 27 April on the occasion of the Jubilee of teenagers.

Frugal meals, little wine and dessert only on Sundays. Forbidden are asparagus and foods that might conceal "secret messages" directed at the cardinals. The conclave menu reflects a rather strict diet designed to meet the needs of the cardinals, whose average age is traditionally very high, in this case 72. But there are also rules adopted for the very safety of the voting process, such as the one that forbids serving food that could once have concealed "pizzini", such as ravioli or whole chicken, but also asparagus. Meals are served at Casa Santa Marta, the residence where the cardinals stay during the entire conclave and which the cardinals themselves reach at the end of each vote in the Sistine Chapel.

Fifteen thousand people in St. Peter's Square for the 11.50 a.m. smoke that still came out black from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. This was announced by the Vatican.

"We have come to greet Francis, to pray for him. And also for the Pope to come, we hope he will follow his teachings'. Thousands of pilgrims and faithful are already queuing up at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, manned by the police and Civil Defence units, to cross the holy door for the Jubilee but, above all, to visit the tomb of the late pontiff. The gaze, however, is also on the phones, for the first smoke of the day. 'Let us only hope that the new Pope is like the other one' is the wish of one of the pilgrims who came from Sardinia. On the second day of the conclave, many, after visiting Santa Maria Maggiore, make arrangements to travel to the Vatican in the afternoon to await the evening smoke. "Francis was our Pope. We gathered here to say our prayers. And afterwards we will go to St Peter's, hoping to be there for the white smoke,' says Sister Ania, who came with her order from Poland. Also in St. Mary Major as around St. Peter's the market for papal gadgets in the souvenir shops continues.

Even this morning there was black smoke at the Conclave in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, where the cardinals have been meeting since yesterday to elect a new Pope.

There is, therefore, still no agreement for the new Pontiff. A new smoke is expected this afternoon.

"I hope that when I return to Rome this evening I will already find the white smoke. I am particularly happy to be here at the beginning of the Conclave so that the Holy Spirit may blow strong and so that the Pope that today's Church and the world needs may be elected". This was said by Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re in Pompei, emphasising that the new Pope "first of all will have to try to strengthen faith in God in this world of ours characterised by technological progress, but under the spiritual aspect we have noticed a bit of 'forgetting God'". So 'there is a need for a reawakening'.

Faithful in St. Peter's Square for a possible smoke that will only occur if the Pope is elected. Eyes are on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. A pair of seagulls keeps watch on the roof.

In the history of the Church, only two popes have been elected by conclave in May, the month that the Catholic liturgy dedicates to Our Lady. In the heart of the so-called 'Avignon Captivity', with the Curia far from Rome, the conclave of 1342 opened on 5 May in the papal residence in Provence. After just two days, Pierre Roger, a cardinal and a man of profound culture, was elected as Clement VI. His pontificate (1342-1352) was marked by intense patronage, a solid international policy and the controversial purchase of the city of Avignon, which became papal property. Clement VI was also the pope of the Black Death, which broke out during his pontificate, and distinguished himself for his charity and commitment to protecting Jews from persecution. He was one of the most representative pontiffs of the Avignon era. After the very brief experience of Pope Leo XI (who died after only 27 days), the second conclave of 1605 opened on 8 May. It took the cardinals no less than twenty-seven ballots to reach the election of Cardinal Camillo Borghese, who became Paul V. Under his pontificate (1605-1621), the Church experienced a period of renewed temporal and spiritual power. Paul V was a staunch supporter of papal authority and commissioned important architectural works, such as the façade of St. Peter's Basilica. It was thanks to him that one of the universal symbols of Catholicism was completed. His election in a warm month of May marked the beginning of a baroque season of great splendour for the Rome of the popes.

Considering the current one, in the last five conclaves there have been three Popes elected on the second day. In 1978 on the second day (25-26 August), on the fourth ballot, John Paul I was elected. In 2005 the second day (18-19 April) was the time for the election of Pope Benedict XVI, also on the fourth ballot. Finally Pope Francis was elected on the fifth ballot in 2013 (12-13 March).

Voting to choose the new Pope resumed today. The cardinal electors gathered at 8am in the Apostolic Palace to celebrate Mass and Lauds in the Pauline Chapel. They will then retire to the Sistine Chapel at 9.15am to recite the Middle Hour and then proceed to the first two ballots. Two smokings are planned: one at the end of the morning, one in the evening, i.e. at the end of both the morning and afternoon votes. Unless the new Pope is elected at the first of the two votes scheduled for the morning and afternoon: in that case the smoke will be brought forward to around 10.30 a.m. if agreement is reached in the morning, or around 5.30 p.m. if the first vote in the afternoon is also necessary. (ANSA).