The new pope said he would be guided by a key document that his predecessor wrote listing the church’s priorities, including a “loving care for the least and the rejected.”

White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that a pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church. VATICAN CITY — White smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that a pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago will succeed Pope Francis as the leader of the Catholic Church. Prevost, the first American pope in history, will go by Leo XIV. Here's a look at the scenes across Rome and nearby countries after white smoke poured from the chimney.