Vatican City--According to CBS Radio News over WGNS, on Thursday (May 8, 2025) the Conclave at Vatican City sent up plumes of white smoke! The cardinal electors of the Catholic Church elected an American. Chicago-born, 69-year old Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected and accepted his fate as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Prevost is the first pope ever from the United States. He chose Leo XIV as his papal name. 

The new pontiff's identity was revealed about an hour after white smoke emerged from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, signaling that a new pope had been chosen with a decisive vote by the cardinal electors gathered for the papal conclave.

After the white smoke brought an initial cheer, the crowd in St. Peter's Square erupted in applause again as it was announced that the Catholic Church, for the first time in its history, has a leader from the U.S.

It's interesting that Vatican City, although situated within Rome, Italy, is a fully independent nation. As the world's smallest country, it gained sovereignty in 1929 through the Lateran Treaty.

Stay tuned to WGNS, as a CBS Radio affiliate, WGNS will broadcast "live" reports from Vatican City.