Mainers at home and abroad huddled over their phones Thursday to read the news as white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the Roman Catholic Church had chosen a leader to succeed Pope Francis.

Cardinal Robert Prevost became the first American pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history. He will become Pope Leo XIV.

Jennifer McKay, a junior at Bates College, witnessed the smoke turn white while in Rome for a short-term course, called “Layers of Rome,” which coincides with a world-renowned religious moment in Vatican City: the conclave.

“Oh my god, I see it,” said McKay as she began running from her nearby residence to St. Peter’s Square to see the smoke.

The papal conclave that voted to elect the 267th pontiff began on Wednesday, and the new pope was announced on the second day of voting.

Francis died at 88 years old, one day after bestowing his final blessing in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. Many Mainers remembered Francis as a humble, compassionate pontiff who made strides to emphasize love and charity in the Catholic Church.

The cardinals who voted to elect Prevost came from 70 countries and not all of them speak Italian fluently, which could have slowed the election. The new cardinal had to receive 89 of 133 votes to secure the position as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

‘ROCK THE WORLD’

Bishop James Ruggieri of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which represents all Catholic parishes in Maine, said during a news conference on Thursday afternoon that he met the new pope last September while Prevost was serving as the head of the Dicastery for Bishops, the church department that oversees the selection of new bishops.

“They call it baby bishop school,” Ruggieri said. “He was directing that orientation, so I had a chance to meet him. He celebrated mass with us. He was very present, pretty much the whole time, with us. (He had) a wonderful temperament. Very congenial man.”

The Rev. Daniel Greenleaf, who leads the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston, said he and church staff were “floored” when the conclave chose an American pope, and thinks he should make several pilgrimages to Rome now.

“We didn’t believe it until we saw it in English because we thought maybe we didn’t understand the Latin right,” Greenleaf said. “That’s how shocked we are. We didn’t think it ever would be American pope, ever. … So I think this is going to rock the world.”

Sylvia Bilodeau, 83, of Waterville, said she started crying tears of joy when she heard that Prevost was from the United States.

Bilodeau was walking in downtown Waterville Thursday shortly after the new pope spoke at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. A lifelong Catholic, Bilodeau hopes Prevost’s influence will help to ease the political divisions in the U.S.

“It’s probably going to be good for the United States, with all that we’re going through now — that maybe a change can happen,” Bilodeau said.

‘THE FUTURE OF OUR FAITH’

Staff outside of the basilica in Lewiston removed the black drapes used to signify the passing of the previous pope, and replaced them with yellow and white drapes around the doors in commemoration. The congregation planned to hold a Mass Thursday night for the community to celebrate the announcement.

“We’re happy it happened fast because there’s so much polarization in the world and this means they agreed (fairly quickly),” Greenleaf said, adding the decision will set a “real direction for the future of our faith.”

Barbara Weiden Boyd, a Latin and Greek professor at Bowdoin College who was Francis’ classmate in a German language class, said she’s hopeful that the new pope will be modern and forward-thinking.

“One of the things that made Pope Francis so appealing … is that he was so humble,” Weiden Boyd said. “He really was just a regular person. He really related to people. It’ll be interesting to see how and if this new pope is going to follow along that path.”

She said it’s promising that Provost used to lead the Order of St. Augustine, which she said is committed to helping those in poverty. His papal name, Leo, may be a nod to Pope Leo XIII, whom the professor said was committed to upholding rights of the working class, not the elite.

“I certainly hope that this bodes well in the sense that this pope will continue to shed light on those corners of the human experience that others would like to ignore,” Weiden Boyd said.

House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, who is Catholic, said he’s curious if the new pope’s name could mean that he will focus on advances in technology affecting everyday life, as Pope Leo XIII was interested in the Industrial Revolution.

Fecteau expects Prevost to build bridges across cultural divides, like language and national origin.

Francis had appointed Prevost to preside over some of his most revolutionary reforms, including the addition of three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope.

“I just hope that he follows along with Pope Francis’ world view of unity and compassion – that’s what I hope,” said Kathy Carey, of Oakland, who is Catholic.

‘WITNESSING HISTORY’

The Bates students studying in Rome had visited St. Peter’s earlier this week, noting the massive crowds gathered.

“There were so many reporters from all over the world,” Bates sophomore Perrin Hill said. “It was a very active city, everyone was always doing something, and it just makes you happy.”

McKay said it was special to watch people from different nations gather to wave flags and clap outside of the basilica.

“I just felt that it was a super unifying moment,” McKay said.

Bates assistant professors Mark Lewis Tizzoni and Liana Brent said watching the joyous celebrations in Rome has been moving for them and their students.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment, as they’re witnessing history being made,” Brent said in an emailed statement. “It’s an exciting mix of history and culture, pageantry and faith, and we feel lucky to be a part of it!”

This report contains material from the Associated Press.