U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected pope, the first time an American will lead the Roman Catholic Church. He chose the name Pope Leo XIV.

The 69-year-old new pope appeared at the balcony in St. Peter’s Basilica and said Peace be with all of you!”

He said he wanted his message of peace to “enter your hearts, reach your families and all people, wherever they are.”

He thanked his fellow cardinals for selecting him, and spoke in Italian, Spanish and Latin. Having spent years working in Peru, he thanked his former diocese in the South American country, “where a loyal people has shared its faith and has given a lot,” he said.

He also spoke warmly of Pope Francis and concluded by leading the crowd in prayer

The Vatican has said all of the 133 Catholic cardinals who will vote to choose a successor to Pope Francis are now in Rome ahead of the conclave starting this week.

According to the Vatican, the cardinals will gather in secret in the Sistine Chapel starting at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT) on Wednesday.

They will keep voting until one choice among them has a two-thirds majority, and becomes head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

The conclave itself begins Wednesday morning with the celebration of a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

In the afternoon, the cardinals will formally process into the Sistine Chapel, the storied 15th century worship space adorned with frescoes by Michelangelo, where they will begin voting for the next pope.

They are expected to take one vote on Wednesday afternoon. Subsequent days will have two votes each morning and afternoon. It takes a two-thirds majority for someone to be elected.

According to conclave regulations, if no-one has been chosen after the first three days, the cardinals should take a day-long “pause of prayer” before continuing.

The only signal given to the outside world about the deliberations will come from a chimney installed above the chapel. The cardinals will burn their ballots, adding a chemical product to create one of two colours of smoke: black for an inconclusive vote; white when there is a new pope.

Nigerian Christians have joined their counterparts around the world to celebrate Ash Wednesday which officially heralds the commencement of the Lenten season.

Lent is one of the most significant periods in the Christian liturgical calendar. The 40-day season, excluding Sundays, is dedicated to penance, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, leading up to the celebration of Easter on April 20.

The duration of Lent reflects the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert, a period marked by reflection, sacrifice, and spiritual preparation.

It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares Christians for Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.

During the six weeks of self-examination and reflection, Christians who observe Lent typically commit to fast, or to give up something—a habit, like smoking, watching TV, swearing, or a food or drink, such as sweets, chocolate, or coffee. Some Christians also take on a Lenten discipline, like reading the Bible and spending more time in prayer to draw nearer to God.

Strict observers of Lent do not eat meat on Fridays, often opting for fish instead. The goal of these spiritual disciplines is to strengthen the faith of the observer and develop a closer relationship with God.

In the Catholic Church, ashes are distributed as a mark to remind the faithfuls that they are dust and unto dust they shall return.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year’s palm Sunday, and placing them on the foreheads of participants.

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation, Lent, therefore originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter.