Black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney on Wednesday evening, signaling that Roman Catholic cardinals failed to elect a new pope during the conclave’s first round of voting.
Thousands of pilgrims and visitors packed St. Peter’s Square, watching intently as the smoke appeared more than three hours after the conclave began, longer than during the first vote in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis. As expected, no decision was reached on the opening day, as modern papal elections rarely conclude after a single vote.
The 133 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, are now sequestered inside Vatican City, with no contact with the outside world except for the smoke signals that follow each round of balloting. They will continue deliberations on Thursday, with two voting sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon, until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority, at least 89 votes.
The conclave follows Pope Francis’s death last month, ending a 12-year papacy marked by reform and internal tension. Divisions remain over the Church’s direction, with some cardinals favoring continuity and others calling for a return to more traditional doctrine.
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are possible frontrunners, although no clear favorite has emerged. Other names in consideration include cardinals from France, Hungary, the United States, and Italy.
Voting resumes Thursday morning.
Source: Reuters