Black smoke rose from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, signaling that the College of Cardinals has yet to reach an agreement on a new pope following Pope Francis’ death.
The 133 voting cardinals, who began their secret deliberations Wednesday evening, remain locked inside the historic chapel as they work to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis passed away on April 21 from a stroke and heart failure.
After nearly three hours of voting, black smoke billowed from the chapel’s chimney—an unmistakable sign to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square and viewers around the world that no candidate had secured the necessary votes.
In the conclave, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority—equivalent to 89 votes—to be elected pope. Until that threshold is met, the ballots are burned with a special chemical that produces dark smoke to indicate an inconclusive result. Once a pope is elected, a different chemical is used to create white smoke, marking the successful selection of the pontiff.
“Black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel after nearly 3 hours of voting,” observers noted, as eyes turned skyward to watch the dark plume rise above Vatican City.
While the world waits, the centuries-old ritual continues behind closed doors. Once the cardinals come to a decision, the new pope will don the traditional white vestments and make his first appearance from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, greeting the faithful and revealing the name he has chosen for his papacy.
Crowds packed St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, scanning the chimney for signs of smoke and praying for guidance as the Church embarks on a new chapter. Photos captured worshippers gazing upward in anticipation of the next signal.
The voting process often takes multiple rounds before a consensus is achieved. Historically, however, conclaves have moved relatively swiftly in modern times. Pope Francis was elected in just two days in 2013, and the past 10 conclaves have averaged about 3.2 days before a new pontiff was named.
As speculation swirls over who will succeed Francis, faithful Catholics and curious onlookers alike continue to wait patiently beneath the Vatican’s skies, looking for that long-awaited white smoke to declare the election of the next pope.
I hope they choose a pope that represents conservative views.
In addition, I hope this new pope allows priests to choose celibacy or not. Nowhere in scripture is a teaching from God or Jesus Christ requiring celibacy from his disciples. It can be a choice. Forced celibacy has caused the perversions ( pedophilia) in the Catholic Church. Many individuals removed themselves from the church for that reason. Celibacy is not easy, and should not be something that a young priest should be forced to choose.