The “new pope” has already been announced: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope on May 8, 2025, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, with the traditional “Habemus Papam” announcement made that day from St. Peter’s Basilica.

When a new pope is announced

  • The announcement happens immediately after the cardinals elect a new pope in conclave and he accepts the election.
  • Once he chooses his papal name, white smoke appears from the Sistine Chapel chimney to signal that a pope has been chosen.
  • Shortly after, the senior cardinal deacon comes out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and proclaims the famous formula “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”) and gives the new pope’s name.

In the most recent case, white smoke appeared the evening of May 8, 2025, and then Cardinal Dominique Mamberti formally announced the election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as Pope Leo XIV from the central loggia of St. Peter’s.

What this means for “when is new pope announced”

  • If you’re asking about the current situation (2026) : the most recent “new pope” was announced on May 8, 2025, and he is now reigning as Pope Leo XIV.
  • If you mean in general : there is no fixed calendar date; the announcement happens as soon as the conclave successfully elects a pope and the necessary formalities (acceptance and papal name) are complete.

So, the answer is: the new pope is announced on the day of his election, right after the conclave reaches a two‑thirds majority and the elected cardinal accepts, as dramatically signaled by the white smoke and the “Habemus Papam” proclamation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.