New head of the church: cheers, tears and “Viva Il Papa” – tens of thousands celebrate Pope

For the tens of thousands of people on St. Peter’s Square, there is no stopping than at 6:07 p.m. White smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine chapel: the crowd cheered, people hug and can hardly hold themselves with joy. Those who have not yet reached the square flock to the paw of the basilica in the running step in the running step to greet the new pope.

Many had been pending on St. Peter’s Square

Numerous people have been pending since the morning. After the first black smoke signal on Wednesday evening and the second at noon, they never wanted to miss the next smoke sign from the chimney of the magnificent chapel in the Apostolic Palace. With the most beautiful afternoon sun, it was always full of just before the smoke rose.

Then when the dense white cloud of smoke leaves the inconspicuous smoke, there is confusion for a short moment – is the smoke black or really white? But then the outcry. The smoke is white and the Catholic Church has a chief chief just chosen in the concrete.

Puzzle rates on the pitch

At this moment, the onlookers do not yet know the name of the church man, which in the future will lead the Catholic Church with its 1.4 billion members. The waiting time seems unbearably long. Among the people is puzzled, whose name is announced by the Cardinal Protodiacon Dominique Mamberti on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

After an hour, the wait has come to an end: the curtains of the balcony of the pars’ cathedral are raised, Mamberti enters it and announces the Habemus Papam (we have a Pope). After the Latin formula and thunderous applause of the crowd, he announces that American Robert Francis Prevost is the new Pontifex. The 69-year-old will bear the name Leo XIV.

Many make calls first

People swing flags, jump like children up and down, sing and laugh. Some call their loved ones at home, in all possible languages. “What emotion to see the white smoke live!” Says an Italian with her husband on the phone and calls it “Bellissimo” – very nice! Others first have to check on their cell phones where the new head of the church comes from. An Italian suspects a Frenchman behind Prevost.

During the speech of the new Pope on the balcony, many people call “Viva Il Papa!”. They swivel their state flags, especially among people from Spanish -speaking countries, out of applause when Leo XIV greets his community in Peru in Spanish. But the Romans among the onlookers are also happy about the appearance of their new bishop – because the Pope is Bishop of Rome.

With Prevost, a pontiff from the United States comes for the first time in two thousands of church history. So far, he has led the important dicasterium for all bishops worldwide in the Vatican – a dicasterine is comparable to a ministry. He used to work as a missionary and bishop in Peru and general priority of the Augustinian order. He is considered a mediator between reformers and traditionalists within the Catholic Church.

“Rome greets his bishop and new Pope Leo XIV with affection and emotion. His pontificate will surely understand to tackle the challenges of our time with courage and foresight in the sign of dialogue, peace and integration,” writes the mayor of the Italian capital, Roberto Gualtieri, on the platform X.