Breaking news: Catholic church has a new pope - | News for Yuma, Imperial Valley, El Centro, AZ & CA

World

Breaking news: Catholic church has a new pope

Posted: Updated:

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Catholic church has chosen a new pope.

White smoke is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning 115 cardinals in a papal conclave have elected a new leader for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

The new pope is expected to appear on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica within an hour, after a church official announces "Habemus Papum" — "We have a pope" — and gives the name of the new pontiff in Latin.

The conclave was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned last month, throwing the church into turmoil and exposing deep divisions among cardinals tasked with finding a manager to clean up a corrupt Vatican bureaucracy as well as a pastor who can revive Catholicism in a time of growing secularism.

Email Alert Sign Up

Sign up here to receive breaking news stories from KSWT.com and morning updates to your email inbox.

Log InNot you? Log out


Thank you for signing up! You will receive a confirmation email shortly.

KSWT-TV Affiliates

Go to KSWT-TV's Facebook page

KSWT Facebook Feeds