The new Pope has been selected by the conclave, as the bells ring out across St Peter’s square.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, prefect for the Dicastery for Bishops, has been elected after the second day of conclave brought a new Pope as white smoke billowed from the famous chimney.

Prevost will be known as Pope Leo XIV, with the 69-year-old seen as a reformer, similar to the nature of the late Pope Francis.

Created a cardinal by Francis in 2023, the new Pope will be the first pontiff from the US, which marks an end to the Vatican’s longstanding opposition to the idea of a leader from the states,

The fact that he has significant missionary experience in Peru, having served as bishop of the northern city of Chiclayo, may go some way to redeeming him in the eyes of those who would not usually countenance the idea of an American pope.