Pope Live: White smoke, and awaiting the appearance of new pontiff

White smoke emerges from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, right, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013, meaning 115 cardinals in a papal conclave have elected a new leader for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. AP PHOTO/GREGORIO BORGIA

“Pope Live” follows the choice of the new pope as seen by journalists from The Associated Press around the world. It will be updated throughout the day with breaking news and other items of interest.

VATICAN SECURITY

Throngs of the faithful are in St. Peter’s Square, ready to cheer the new pope when he steps out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The vast square in Rome is a sea of umbrellas, flags and chanting crowds.

The Vatican’s security force, known as the gendarmerie, is in charge of those inside the square, while Italian police handle crowd control just outside the Vatican’s boundaries. Security officers from both forces include plainclothes agents dressed up as tourists, watching for any unusual movement.

A tented field hospital went up near the Vatican before the conclave began.

There have been a few “trial runs” of crowd control. Pope Benedict XVI’s public audience drew so many people—some 150,000—that there wasn’t enough space for all in the cobblestone square.—Frances D’Emilio

NEXT STEPS

The 266th pope has been chosen.

Whoever he may be, he now changes into his papal white cassock, and one-by-one the cardinals approach him to swear their obedience.

He will stop and pray in the Pauline Chapel for a few minutes before emerging on the loggia of the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Preceding him to the balcony is French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the protodeacon, who announces “Habemus Papam!” Latin for “We have a pope” and then introduces him to the world in Latin.

He then emerges and delivers his first public words as the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.—Nicole Winfield