logo
White smoke emerges from Sistine Chapel as new Pope elected

White smoke emerges from Sistine Chapel as new Pope elected

Extra.ie​08-05-2025

A new Pope has been elected with white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel confirming the news to the world.
The pontiff is the 267th Pope, becoming the religious leader of Catholics across the globe and someone believed to be called to be the successor to St Peter, who was the first.
Shortly after 5pm UK time on Thursday, crowds in St Peter's Square bore witness to history as white smoke billowed into the air from a specially-erected chimney at the chapel, in the age-old tradition.
Onlookers erupted into cheers and applause as bells tolled to confirm the news. White smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Pic: Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images
Some 133 cardinals entered the chapel on Wednesday afternoon, with the secret conclave meeting getting under way behind closed doors shortly before 5pm UK time, as the group were cut off from all communications with the outside world.
The timing means it took cardinals only around 24 hours to elect their new leader.
Each of the electors, mostly dressed in distinctive bright red vestments, had taken an oath pledging secrecy ahead of the process of casting anonymous ballots for their chosen name.
At a special mass ahead of the conclave, cardinals were reminded of the 'choice of exceptional importance' they must make.
Three UK cardinals took part in conclave – Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe and Rome-based Cardinal Arthur Roche.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is Irish-born, is seen as an American cardinal having ministered mainly in the US.
Cardinal Nichols had called on people to pray for himself and other cardinals as they embarked on the secret voting process, adding that he felt 'quite intimidated' knowing the world was watching to see who they would choose. White smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Pic: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
The voting cardinals – those aged under 80 who were the only ones eligible to cast a ballot – were urged to 'invoke the help of the Holy Spirit' to help them elect a pope 'whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history'.
In the mass in St Peter's Basilica ahead of conclave, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said the pontiff would need to be a person who can 'awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today's society, characterised by great technological progress but which tends to forget God'.
Once a new Pope accepts his election, it is usual that he would appear fairly quickly thereafter on the front balcony of St Peter's Basilica which overlooks St Peter's Square.
An announcement in Latin of 'Habemus Papam' – meaning 'we have a Pope' is made alongside the new pontiff's appearance.
This conclave was thought to be one of the most diverse of any meeting of cardinals before, representing some 70 countries and hailing from places like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga which had not had a cardinal before.
Pope Francis had appointed some 108 of the 133 cardinals who took part in the conclave to choose his successor.
Francis was vocal on politics, speaking out against war and climate change, as he urged more focus on the poor and downtrodden of the world.
His funeral last month drew hundreds of thousands of mourners, including world leaders such as US president Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Such was Francis's popularity, he was dubbed by many to have been 'the people's pope'.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Government to withhold support for motion to end Central Bank facilitation of Israeli war bonds
Government to withhold support for motion to end Central Bank facilitation of Israeli war bonds

Irish Examiner

time36 minutes ago

  • Irish Examiner

Government to withhold support for motion to end Central Bank facilitation of Israeli war bonds

The Government will not be supporting a cross-party motion demanding the Central Bank end the facilitation of Israeli war bonds and will instead table its own counter motion. Four opposition parties have come together to back the motion and have called on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to provide the Government TDs with a free vote when it comes before the Dáil on Wednesday. The Social Democrats, Sinn Féin, Labour and People Before Profit-Solidarity have united behind the motion that demands that the Government enact emergency legislation to explicitly force the Central Bank to stop facilitating the sale of Israeli bonds. It also calls on the coalition to advise the bank that "by acting as the enabling cog in Israel's fundraising machine in the European Union it is putting the state at risk of a charge of complicity in genocide". The motion stresses that since October 2023 the bonds have been advertised as war bonds with the slogan 'stand with Israel – Israel is at war'. The website marketing the bonds contains a video by Israeli President Isaac Herzog who lauds 'the crucial role of Israel bonds during this time of conflict and war". Last month, a similar Sinn Féin bill which sought to stop the Central Bank facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds was defeated after the Government voted against the draft legislation. Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe said the gap between the vote on the Sinn Féin Bill and this motion has given TDs 'time to reflect'. Mr Crowe asked: Is there anyone in Ireland comfortable with the fact that we're facilitating this blood money coming into our country and being spent on weapons that are killing men, women and children? Calling on the Government leaders to allow backbench TDs a vote of conscience, Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said: 'We have failed as an international community to prevent a genocide from happening so now we have to do everything in our power to make sure that we stop it.' She added: 'We are urging the Government to allow a free vote, a vote of conscience, because we believe that this is something that many TDs will support if given the opportunity. 'And we absolutely urge the Government to support this motion.' Labour TD Duncan Smith said adopting the motion would send a "clear signal" that Ireland is "morally and ethically" against Israel's bombardment of Gaza and that "Irish people do not stand for the selling of Israeli war bonds". Humanitarian aid blockade Meanwhile, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has made an urgent call to end the blockade and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. "Ireland has consistently called on Israel to lift its blockade and allow unimpeded access of humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza, in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles," Mr Harris said in a statement. "The UN and humanitarian organisations must be allowed to work independently and do their job. It is a shame on the world and international community that people are starving in Gaza." Praising activists aboard the Madleen, which was blocked by Israeli forces on route to Gaza, Mr Harris said: "The question we should be asking today is not a debate about the merits or not of the flotilla but how it has come to this; that the world is turning a blind eye to starving children in Gaza." Read More Watch: Surveillance footage shows crew on Gaza aid boat putting hands up as Israeli forces seize vessel

Rental reform plan will add to homelessness, landlords claim
Rental reform plan will add to homelessness, landlords claim

Extra.ie​

timean hour ago

  • Extra.ie​

Rental reform plan will add to homelessness, landlords claim

New plans to reform the rental housing market are unfair and will have a serious negative effect on rentals, according to the Irish Property Owners Association, the body representing the country's landlords. The new two-tier reform, which proposes to lift the cap in rent pressure zones and provide for minimum six-year leases, is being debated in the Dáil tonight and considered by Cabinet tomorrow. The controversial measures are aimed at encouraging landlords to enter the market and increase the number of rental homes, but the Property Owners Association say it will have the opposite effect. Pic: Shutterstock They have urged the Government 'to consider the impact of, in effect, banning short-to-medium term letting of less than six years' and of the implications for owners of large, multiple tenancies who wish to sell the property. They also ask if the new reforms will include exemptions for homeowners going into nursing homes who want to rent their home for less than six years. 'The IPOA is concerned that the Government's proposed reforms are over-complicated and that the proposed 6-year minimum security of tenure will have a serious negative impact on private, non-institutional landlords, and on the rental market. The IPOA fears that the Government may not have fully considered some of the implications and consequences of the proposals,' spokeswoman Mary Conway said. Mary Conway. Pic: Supplied 'The proposed changes are unfair on the individual who – for good reason – wishes to, and needs to, rent out their home for a short period and points to a flaw on the part of the Government thinking which – by going after institutional landlords – has ignored the implications for individual, private landlords. 'We believe that in seeking to address political concerns about the role of institutional landlords (who are predominantly active in the Dublin region), the Government may be punishing individual landlords, particularly the types of landlords who are the drivers of rental supply in provincial towns and rural areas outside of the large cities.' Ms Conway added. Pic: Shutterstock The proposal to lift the cap on rent in rent pressure zones has been heavily criticised by renters and housing charities. Instead of limiting rent increases to 2% a year the rent will now be tied to the rate of inflation, meaning a higher increase in rents. The Government believes lifting the current rent cap will encourage large landlords to enter the Irish market, but critics and opposition politicians say it will lead to more homelessness if the cap is lifted. As a mark of Ireland's dysfunctional rental market, three-bedroom houses and apartments in Tallaght are now renting for a staggering €3,000 monthly.

Dozens of Irish people among group set to march from Cairo to Gaza amid aid blockade
Dozens of Irish people among group set to march from Cairo to Gaza amid aid blockade

The Journal

timean hour ago

  • The Journal

Dozens of Irish people among group set to march from Cairo to Gaza amid aid blockade

AROUND 50 IRISH people will take part in a march from Cairo to Gaza this month, demanding Israel fully open the Rafah crossing to allow humanitarian aid through. The delegation, which will join 2,500 other people from 60 countries, will walk through the desert for two days in hopes of drawing attention to Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza. They will meet in Cairo on 13 June and depart the next day for the Sinai Desert, where temperatures reach highs of 32 to 35 degrees Celsius at this time of year. They will camp there overnight. A number of healthcare workers are involved in the march. They will end their march at the Rafah crossing, where they will stay for another two days. Karen Moynihan, a spokesperson for March to Gaza Ireland, spoke to The Journal about the demonstration. 'It's not going to be the most pleasant conditions, but it doesn't matter if we think about what the people of Palestine have been living through every day for 19 months,' she said. 'The people of Ireland and the people of the world are not willing to sit by any longer and just wait.' She said Israel is committing an 'absolutely barabaric genocide' and Ireland has not taken sufficient action to stop it. The government recently voted against a Sinn Féin Bill that sought to stop the Irish Central Bank facilitating the sale of Israeli 'war bonds' across the EU. Advertisement Cabinet last month approved the drafting of the long-awaited Occupied Territories Bill, which will ban goods from the illegal settlements in Palestine. It is unclear when the Bill will be passed. 'Every government has an option and has a choice,' said Moynihan. 'The international community has not put any sanctions [on Israel], nothing of any significance. It's all been words.' The group is demonstrating in partnership with the Soumoud convoy, which comprises nine buses holding hundreds of Tunisians who say they want to break the blockade into Gaza. They departed today, hours after the Madleen 'Freedom Flotilla' was intercepted by Israel . A dozen people were on board the boat, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg. The group beginning their march later this week will join them in calling for food and medical supplies to flow freely by land and sea into Gaza. The United Nations has warned that Gaza's entire population of more than two million people is at risk of starvation. 'We have the power as an international community to change this immediately,' said Moynihan. March to Gaza says it has informed all the Egyptian embassies of its demonstration and has asked the Egyptian authorities for support. On whether she is concerned about the safety of participants, Moynihan said their demonstration is peaceful and non-political and the onus is on others to respect that. The health ministry in Gaza said that the overall toll for the war since 7 October has reached 54,880, the majority of the dead being civilians. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store