SEAGULL PERCHED ON SISTINE CHAPEL CHIMNEY

March 13 (Bloomberg) -- As the world awaits smoke signals from the Sistine Chapel that indicate whether a new pope has been chosen, a seagull perched atop the chimney. (Source: Bloomberg) --

UPDATE: White smoke issued from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaling that a pope has been elected. The bells of St Peter are ringing.

UPDATE 2: The new pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio,76, of Argentina, has chosen the name Francis.  The 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church is the first non-European leader of the church in more than 1,000 years.

THE PAPAL CONCLAVE

To the left, the cardinals are shown processing into the mass in St Peter's Basilica this morning before gathering in the Sistine Chapel to begin the Papal Conclave.

To the right is the Sistine Chapel set up for the for the cardinals meeting in the Papal Conclave to elect the new pope.

The cardinals walk up the aisle toward Michangelo's "The Last Judgement" to place their ballots in the ballot box.

Black smoke issued from the chimney this evening to signal that no pope was elected on the first ballot.  When the new pope has been chosen, white smoke will come from the chimney, and a bell will ring as an additional signal.

The picture of the cardinals in procession made me smile because in my Roman Catholic elementary school such a straggly line would not have been tolerated. We would have heard from the sister in charge, "Straighten that line!"