Details have begun to emerge of how votes swiftly coalesced to make Pope Leo XIV history’s first American pope.

American cardinal Robert Prevost was announced as the choice to replace Pope Francis. Bells at St. Peter's Basilica rang and crowds cheered as the white smoke billowed from the chimney. The new leader of the Catholic Church was chosen amid the third round of conclave voting.

Catholic cardinals will sequester themselves Wednesday behind the Vatican’s medieval walls for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

The 133 cardinals are expected to vote again in the morning after spending the night sequestered at the Vatican residences. On Wednesday evening, black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave.

Some have watched it in the cinema,” one cleric involved said, adding that the movie accurately portrays how the conclave works.