Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected Pope

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected Pope, greeting thousands in St Peter’s Square.

He will be called Pope Francis I and is the first Latin American pontiff. The white smoke was spotted not long after 6.00pm GMT which prompted the many gathered at the Vatican to erupt into cheers, many who have been waiting for hours in the pouring rain.

Pope Francis takes over from Benedict XVI who resigned in February. 115 cardinals had been voting since Tuesday to choose the next Pope.

The image above shows coverage from Argentine television.