White smoke flew above the chimney at the Sistine Chapel signalling a new Pope had been elected.

Bathurst Catholic Diocese Bishop Michael McKenna asking the faith in the area which covers central and far west to Wilcannia to ’Please pray for new Pope Leo XVI’’ he said.

‘’We have a Pope, Leo XIV.

"On this momentous day where our Church has received a new Holy Father we are all encouraged to take time to pray for him and his ministry to the world."

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) has welcomed the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the Pope, now to be known by the name Leo XIV.

This represents a momentous event in the life of the Catholic Church, the wider community of Christian believers and, in many respects, the whole world.

Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, said the Catholic Church in Australia offered its heartfelt congratulations.

“The election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV is yet again a sign of the wisdom behind the Italian saying that ‘those who enter the conclave as a pope inevitably emerge from the conclave as a cardinal’,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

“Cardinal Prevost brought to his most recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops an approachability and willingness to listen which were no doubt developed throughout his many years as an Augustinian missionary in Peru.

“He will be warmly welcomed by the Church in Latin America, as Pope Francis was, by the Church in the United States from where he comes, from the English-speaking world as a native English speaker, and from the whole Church as a man of God steeped in the rich spirituality of his Augustinian Religious Order.

“As Pope Leo XIV, our new pope will bring the benefit of his wide experience to the many challenges and opportunities before him.”

Archbishop Costelloe said the new pope would guide the Church with renewed hope and strength.

“The Catholic Church in Australia assures Pope Leo XIV of our prayers, loyalty, and joyful anticipation of his spiritual leadership. May his pontificate be marked by peace, unity, and a deepening of the Gospel message throughout the world,” he said.

“Recent Popes have sought ways to be of service to the wider Christian family and we can expect that Pope Leo XIV will follow this same path.

"The growing sense of unity and common purpose, already evident among Christians, can be a powerful countersign to the fragmentation we see in so many societies and communities.”

Archbishop Costelloe said Pope Francis had “reminded us that unity does not demand uniformity, but rather openness to the rich diversity of the many cultures and traditions which are part of our Christian heritage”.

Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Pope Francis in his first remarks, which focused on peace.

“Peace be with all of you,” he said.

He urged the faithful to “move forward, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other”.