Bells are ringing in St. Peter's Square, along with white smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel's chimney, signaling the election of a new pope.

We'll get our first glimpse shortly.

UPDATE - 12:45P ET - 78 year old Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has been elected Pope by the College of Cardinals. He has taken the name of Pope Benedict XVI.

The new Pope, previously the Dean of the College of Cardinals, is considered a conservative traditionalist, and is expected to continue the work of his friend, Pope John Paul II. This is the second straight non-Italian Pope after the Polish John Paul II.

At 78, most anticipate that Pope Benedict XVI's reigh will be notably shorter than Pope John Paul II's, but many pundits point out the apparent good health of the new Pope.

Posted by: mhking at 07:11 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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