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White smoke appearing over the Sistine Chapel in Rome was the first sign that [[Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger selected as the new Pope (April 19)|a new Pope had been elected ]] by the Conclave of Cardinals. A few minutes later, the bells of St. Peter's Basilica began ringing, confirming the election. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has been selected as the successor to Pope John Paul II as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and will be known as Pope Benedict XVI. The election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger follows the death of [[Pope John Paul II dies(April 2, 2005)|death of Pope John Paul II on April 2]].