FIRST came the wisps of white smoke, then the bells of St Peter's rang out to announce that the world had a new pope.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope last night. He chose the name Pope Benedict XVI.

The 265th pontiff emerged onto the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, in Rome, where he waved to a crowd of tens of thousands cheering "Benedict! Benedict!" and gave his first blessing as pope.

"Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me - a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord," he said. "The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers."

Ratzinger, the first German pope in centuries, served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - disciplining dissidents and resisting calls for reform.

He turned 78 on Saturday, and is a conservative, nicknamed God's Rottweiler. His election to succeed John Paul II, who died on April 2, aged 84, is one of the fastest of the past century. Pius XII was elected in 1939 in three ballots on one day, while John Paul I was elected in 1978 in four ballots in one day. The new pope was elected after either four or five ballots over two days.

After the bells started to ring, people on the streets of Rome started heading from all directions toward Vatican City. Priests and seminarians were running, while nuns pulled up their long skirts and jogged toward the Vatican.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Middlesbrough, the Right Reverend John Crowley, said last night: "The new pope faces many challenges and in responding to them he will need to be a man of deep prayer and a good teacher - authentically passing on the Gospel message - a good listener, responding to the people of God, and committed to working collegiately with the bishops around the world.''

Bishop Kevin Dunn, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle - the adjoining diocese - is in Rome.