Black Smoke Rises From Sistine Chapel As First Conclave Vote Fails To Elect New Pope
Vatican City: The first day of the 2025 papal conclave concluded without the election of a new pope, as black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney on Wednesday evening, signalling that no candidate secured the required two-thirds majority vote.
The College of Cardinals, comprising 133 electors from 70 countries, has convened to choose a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away last month at the age of 88. This conclave is noted as the most geographically diverse in the Church’s history, reflecting Pope Francis’s efforts to globalise the Church’s leadership.
The voting process is conducted under strict secrecy, with cardinals sequestered within the Vatican and all forms of external communication prohibited. The initial vote, held on the first day, did not yield a new pontiff, a result not uncommon in papal conclaves. Voting will resume on Thursday, with up to four ballots cast each day—two in the morning and two in the afternoon—until a candidate achieves the necessary majority.
Among the potential candidates is Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, who reportedly received a significant number of votes in the first round but fell short of the required threshold. Other prominent figures include Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, representing different theological perspectives within the Church.
The conclave follows traditional rituals, including the chanting of the “Litany of the Saints” and the “Extra omnes” declaration, which signals all non-participants to leave the Sistine Chapel before the doors are sealed. The cardinals then proceed with the voting process, each writing the name of their chosen candidate on a ballot and placing it into a chalice.
Outside, thousands have gathered in St. Peter’s Square, watching the chimney for signs of white smoke, which would indicate the election of a new pope. The anticipation is palpable, with pilgrims and tourists alike awaiting the announcement of the 267th pontiff.
