Cnn
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White smoke has exceeded the Sistine Chapel, the signal that the cardinals chose a new pope on the second day of the conclave.
His identity, and the name he will take as a pontiff, will soon be revealed.
The cardinals took two days to select a new pontiff, corresponding to the chronology of the two previous rallies and suggesting that a leading candidate quickly impressed his peers during the secret process.
Francis and Benedict XVI were both revealed on the evening of the second day of the conclave, while John Paul II, the longest Pope of modern times, was selected on the third day of 1978.
The 133 cardinals whose voices have repercussions inside the corridors of the Sistine Chapel included progressives, conservatives and self-proclaimed unifiers of 71 different nations, and the chosen candidate will have sailed on these contrasting camps to reach the balcony of the Saint-Pierre basilica, where he will soon salute his faithful for the first time.
The crowds are impatiently awaiting below on Saint-Pierre square, desperate for an overview of the man whose identity is moments of being revealed. The French Cardinal Protodiacre Dominique Mamberti will be in the next moments, in Latin, the history “Habemus Papam!” (“We have a pope!)” Announces.
The winner’s papal name will then be announced, and the new pope will speak briefly and say a prayer. Its official coronation will take place in the days which followed its elections; The last two popes were inaugurated on Saint-Pierre square.
The next few days are for celebration; The name of the pontiff will be pronounced in homilies and masses through the Catholic world, and will arouse particularly joyful scenes in his country of origin. Adding to the festivities and commitments of the newspaper of the New Pope is the fact that 2025 is a year of the jubilee for the church – a special celebration announced by Pope John Paul II 25 years ago, which sees a schedule in charge of events organized by the Vatican.
But directing the greatest Christian name through an unpredictable era will require difficult and substantial decisions. The new pope inherits a church whose image and ambitions have been transformed by his predecessor; Francis has removed the priorities of the Church from social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, gender roles and contraception, rather pleading for the poor, the displaced of the world and the need, and instilling in a mission anchored in altruism.
Whether or not this trajectory will be a decisive choice for the new pontiff. The rejection of the opulence of Francis and his softer tone on social issues were welcomed by certain Western leaders, but there remains a faction in the church pleading for a more strict line on questions of sex, sex, marriage and migration.
He must also choose carefully when intervening on the world scene. Francis has become more and more political in recent years of its papacy, asserting the rights of migrants, urging a ceasefire in the War of Israel-Hamas and suggesting-to the anger of kyiv-that Ukraine should agitate “the white flag” and make concessions to end the war of Russia in the country.
These in progress conflicts, and the rise of populism and authoritarianism in the world, have established a complicated context in which the new Pope – himself an important figure in world diplomacy – will work.
And he must also face the crises of the interior. Francis’ incapacity to get closer to the scandal of sexual abuses on children in the church in the church will also be reflected in the papacy of his successor. Although he spoke defensively about his file on the issue and took important measures to tackle systemic problems involving abuse, the previous Pope was accused by the groups of survivors of not having held bishops and cardinals responsible for covering abuses.
Last year, the François’s child protection committee said in its first report that certain parts of the Church were unable to guarantee that abuses were properly reported and raised concerns concerning a “lack of transparency” in the way the Vatican managed the cases.
This is a story of rupture. More details soon …
