Conclave of Cardinals Has Picked a New Pope

White smoke rose from the Vatican Wednesday afternoon, signaling that the conclave of cardinals has chosen Catholicism's next pope. Watch live above as the new pontiff addresses the crowd outside St. Peter's Basilica, courtesy of NBC News. He is expected to appear within the hour.

The new pope will be the successor to Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned earlier this month. He will be the Bishop of Rome and charged with leading 1.2 billion Catholics around the world.

Mashable composite, image via iStockphoto, fr73