It was raining in Rome. Not just a light drizzle, but that kind of persistent, gray soak that makes the cobblestones of St. Peter’s Square look like slick glass. Thousands of people stood there anyway, huddled under a sea of umbrellas, staring at a single, thin copper chimney.
We all remember the smoke. But the story of the pope francis date elected—March 13, 2013—is a lot weirder and more dramatic than the official Vatican press releases let on.
Honestly, nobody expected Jorge Mario Bergoglio to walk out onto that balcony. He wasn't the front-runner. He wasn't the "young" candidate. He was a 76-year-old Jesuit from Argentina who had allegedly already packed his bags to retire back in Buenos Aires.
The Day the World Turned Upside Down
Let's get the facts straight first. The pope francis date elected was Wednesday, March 13, 2013. It happened on the second day of the conclave, during the fifth ballot.
If you were watching the live feed back then, you might remember the confusion. At 7:06 p.m. local time, the smoke started puffing out. It was white—definitely white—but for a few seconds, it looked kinda gray, and the crowd held its breath. Then the bells of St. Peter’s started clanging, and the square just erupted.
It was the fastest conclave in modern history. Well, one of them, anyway.
Why the date matters
Before this, the Catholic Church was in a bit of a tailspin. Pope Benedict XVI had done something almost unthinkable: he resigned. That hadn't happened in 600 years. The atmosphere in Rome was tense, bordering on chaotic. The Cardinals weren't just looking for a new boss; they were looking for a survival strategy.
Inside the 2013 Conclave: The Secret Ballots
You’ve probably heard the term "Papabili." It basically refers to the guys who are "pope-able."
Going into March 12, the first day of voting, the names on everyone's lips were Cardinal Angelo Scola of Italy and Cardinal Odilo Scherer of Brazil. Scola was the intellectual heavy-hitter. Scherer was the guy the Vatican insiders supposedly liked.
But something shifted behind those locked doors.
- The First Ballot (March 12): Scola took the lead with about 30 votes. Bergoglio was right behind him with 26. It was a shocker. Even more hilarious? One Cardinal actually misspelled Bergoglio's name as "Broglio" on the ballot.
- The Morning Shift (March 13): During the second and third rounds of voting, Bergoglio’s numbers started climbing. The "Scola block" started to crumble.
- The Final Push: By the fifth ballot on the afternoon of March 13, Bergoglio surpassed the 77 votes needed (the two-thirds majority). He reportedly finished with over 85 votes.
He was in.
The "Francis" Name: A Last-Minute Choice?
When a Pope is elected, the first thing they ask him (after he says yes) is: "By what name shall you be called?"
📖 Related: Where Were the Floods in Texas? The Reality of Recent Deluges and High-Risk Zones
Bergoglio chose Francis. No Pope had ever picked that name. Not one. It was a tribute to St. Francis of Assisi, the man of the poor.
There's a great story—actually confirmed by Francis himself later—that as the votes were being counted and it became clear he was winning, his friend Cardinal Cláudio Hummes leaned over, hugged him, and whispered, "Don’t forget the poor." That was the moment he decided on the name.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Election
A lot of people think Francis was the "liberal" choice. It’s more complicated than that.
The Cardinals who voted for him weren't necessarily looking for a theological revolution. They were looking for a "cleaner." They wanted someone from outside the Italian power structures who could fix the Vatican Bank and the messy bureaucracy of the Roman Curia.
He was the "outsider" candidate. The fact that he was the first Pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit was just the icing on the cake.
The "Black Smoke" Fake-Outs
Before the white smoke on the pope francis date elected, there were four rounds of black smoke. The Vatican uses specific chemicals to get the color right. For black smoke, they use a mix of potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulfur. For white, it’s potassium chlorate, lactose, and conifer resin.
Even with the chemistry, it’s hard to see in the dark. That’s why the bells are the real signal.
The First Moments on the Balcony
When French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran finally stepped out and said "Habemus Papam" (We have a Pope), the world waited another ten minutes before Francis appeared.
When he did, he didn't look like a king. He looked... well, he looked a little bit like a grandfather who was surprised to be at the party.
He did something totally out of character for a Pope. He didn't give a blessing first. Instead, he asked the crowd to stay silent and pray for him. That 15-second silence in a square filled with 100,000 people was probably the most powerful moment of the whole day.
Actionable Insights: Why This Still Matters in 2026
Looking back at the pope francis date elected, we can see how much the papacy changed in that single 24-hour window. If you're following Vatican news today, keep these things in mind:
- The "Francis Precedent": He proved that a Pope can come from anywhere. The "Italian monopoly" on the papacy is officially dead.
- The Age Factor: Francis was 76 when elected. People thought he'd be a "transitional" pope. He’s now been in office for over 12 years. Never underestimate the longevity of a "short-term" pick.
- The Jesuit Influence: His election brought a specific "discernment" style to the Church that values process over immediate answers.
If you want to dive deeper into the history, I'd highly recommend reading The Election of Pope Francis by Gerard O'Connell. He’s basically the gold standard for what actually happened during those two days in March. Or, if you're ever in Rome, go stand in the back-left corner of the Sistine Chapel. That's where the two stoves were placed to burn the ballots that changed history.
🔗 Read more: Was Damon Darling Wrongfully Convicted? What Really Happened
The election wasn't just a date on a calendar; it was the moment the center of gravity for the Catholic Church shifted from Europe to the Global South.
To understand the current state of the Vatican, you have to look at those ballots from March 13. Every decision Francis makes today—from climate change encyclicals to reaching out to the fringes of society—can be traced back to that rainy Wednesday evening when the white smoke finally stayed white.