Habemus Papam

WHITE SMOKE Is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel meaning A new pope has just been chosen!! 133 cardinals have gathered in the Sistine chapel and took only two days to decide on who the new pope will be. As of now, the new pope has not been announced. For a bit of linguistic conclave means with a key’ in latin, and was a term used in the 13th century to describe the process of locking up the cardinals until the election was completed. There are no official candidates for the papacy, but some cardinals are considered “papabile,” or possessing the characteristics necessary to become pope. Some names include Pietro Parolin, who will oversee the conclave, Luis Tagle, dubbed the “Asian Francis,” Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, a conservative cardinal native to the Congo, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, potentially the first Italian pope.