White smoke emerges from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, right, in St. Peter鈥檚 Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013, meaning 115 cardinals in a papal conclave have elected a new leader for the world鈥檚 1.2 billion Catholics. AP PHOTO/GREGORIO BORGIA
鈥淧ope Live鈥� 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.
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VATICAN SECURITY
Throngs of the faithful are in St. Peter鈥檚 Square, ready to cheer the new pope when he steps out onto the balcony of St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica. The vast square in Rome is a sea of umbrellas, flags and chanting crowds.
The Vatican鈥檚 security force, known as the gendarmerie, is in charge of those inside the square, while Italian police handle crowd control just outside the Vatican鈥檚 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 鈥渢rial runs鈥� of crowd control. Pope Benedict XVI鈥檚 public audience drew so many people鈥攕ome 150,000鈥攖hat there wasn鈥檛 enough space for all in the cobblestone square.鈥�Frances D鈥橢milio
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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鈥檚 Square.
Preceding him to the balcony is French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the protodeacon, who announces 鈥淗abemus Papam!鈥� Latin for 鈥淲e have a pope鈥� and then introduces him to the world in Latin.
He then emerges and delivers his first public words as the leader of the world鈥檚 1.2 billion Catholics.鈥�Nicole Winfield