Pope Francis was selected on March 13, 2012, after 115 voting cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church reached a conclusion.
New Pope Selected at the Vatican
![Crowds cheer as white smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, March 13, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/c9ae0ded-2d34-4328-8dcc-4b612f7665da_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Crowds cheer as white smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, March 13, 2013.
![Nuns smile in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/3f2ebe72-ba80-498c-a33e-209a0970ad5f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Nuns smile in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.
![People crowd Saint Peter's Square to await the sight of smoke from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel.](https://gdb.voanews.com/84f2e955-9207-4c84-aef3-3ba0b2d2e0a5_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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People crowd Saint Peter's Square to await the sight of smoke from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel.
![Visitors wait in Saint Peter's Square during the second day of voting, March 13, 2013.](https://gdb.voanews.com/7916f3e3-8f1f-4dd0-86c9-038440b22d7e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Visitors wait in Saint Peter's Square during the second day of voting, March 13, 2013.