"It is like our Olympics"

Three Meath priests were among the crowds in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican yesterday when the white smoke started to billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, to the tumultuous excitement of the waiting throngs.

Fr Michael Kilmartin Parish Priest of Ashbourne and Fr Mark English, parish priest of Duleek and Donore, as well as Fr Derek Darby, former PP Asbhourne were there when Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was introduced as Pope Leo XIV.

“It is like our Olympics, with all the people from around the world and all the flags and cheering”, said Fr Kilmartin.

"There is so much colour and excitement, it was very moving and great to part of history".

Fr Kilmartin is delighted at the new choice of Pope. "I believe he will continue the wonderful pontificate of Pope Francis and do what is best for the Church. He is a man of the people."

Fr English said he was delighted to be present, explaining that he and two of his colleagues who travelled had been encouraged by their previous bishop Michael Smith “to try and get out for conclave”.

White smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel just after 5pm, signalling that cardinals locked inside had elected a new leader for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Thousands of pilgrims and curious onlookers in St Peter's Square cheered, applauded and wept as the smoke appeared on the second day of voting at the Vatican. It is unclear whether it was on the third or fourth vote of the 135 cardinals.

The bells of St Peter's Basilica and churches across Rome rang out, indicating the 2,000-year-old Church has its 267th pope.

Here in Navan, church bells also rang out across the town as the white smoke emerged.