The new leader of the Catholic Church will also become Bishop of Rome
White smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel just after 6pm Irish timeThousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square to see the first glimpse of the 266th popeSwiss guards entered St Peter's Square after the white smoke signalIn his first words to the crowds, Pope Francis said it seemed his brother cardinals "went to the end of the world" to find a new popeArgentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the name Pope Francis, greeted crowds to huge cheers
Cardinals looked on as Pope Francis addressed the crowdsThe 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires has spent nearly his entire career at home in ArgentinaHe delivered his first blessing to the huge crowd in St Peter's Square, asking for the prayers of "all men and women of good will" to help him lead the Catholic ChurchThousands of people had waited in the cold and rain since Tuesday to see white smokeFaithful react to the news in Buenos Aires. Pope Francis is the church's first Latin American pontiffAlthough a conservative, Pope Francis is seen as a reformer but was not among the small group of frontrunners identified before the election
