Conclave to Continue Today After No Pope Was Elected on First Day
Cardinals return to the Sistine Chapel for further voting after black smoke signaled no consensus on Wednesday
- First vote ends with no pope elected; black smoke signals no decision
- Cardinals return to the Sistine Chapel today for second round of voting
- A two-thirds majority is needed to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church
The conclave to elect the next pope resumes Thursday after the first day of voting ended without a decision.
All 133 cardinal-electors will gather once more beneath Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes in the Sistine Chapel to cast another round of ballots in hopes of choosing a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.
Wednesday’s initial vote ended inconclusively, marked by the traditional plume of black smoke—fumata nera—from the chapel’s chimney, signaling no pope had been chosen. When a new pontiff is finally elected, white smoke—fumata bianca—and the ringing of St. Peter’s Basilica’s bells will herald the news to the world.
For now, the cardinals have retired to the Santa Marta guesthouse near St. Peter’s Basilica and will return Thursday for the conclave’s first full day. The day will begin with Mass in the Pauline Chapel, followed by four rounds of voting inside the Sistine Chapel—two in the morning and two in the evening.
Voting will continue daily until one candidate secures the required two-thirds majority to become the next leader of the Catholic Church, which counts over one billion members worldwide.
