White smoke from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday signaled that the cardinals have selected the next leader of the Catholic Church.

Cardinals of the Catholic Church ended the conclave and chose a new pope. Here's what to know about Pope Leo XIV.

Here's how the conclave creates black and white smoke and why the Catholic Church began using them to signal whether a new pope has been elected.

The conclave to select the next pope has begun after Catholic cardinals from across the world filed into the Sistine Chapel Wednesday before sealing themselves inside.

The 133 cardinals are expected to vote again in the morning after spending the night sequestered at the Vatican residences. On Wednesday evening, black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave.