JUST IN: Cardinals Fail to Elect New Pope After First Vote as Black Smoke Billows from Sistine Chapel Chimney
No consensus reached on day one of the conclave as over 130 cardinals cast their votes in secrecy
- Black smoke signaled no pope was elected after the first vote of the conclave
- 133 cardinals participated in a secretive process inside the Sistine Chapel
- Over 45,000 gathered in St. Peter’s Square to await the historic decision
Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on the first day of the papal conclave, signaling that the College of Cardinals has not yet elected a new pope.
After nearly three hours behind closed doors, the 133 cardinal electors emerged without consensus, following a lengthy and ceremonial first vote—a process that traditionally takes longer than subsequent rounds.
They will now return to the Santa Marta residence, where they remain secluded until the next round of voting resumes tomorrow.
The opening session of the conclave began with a cardinal delivering a solemn meditation—a reflection on the state of the Church and the qualities needed in the next pontiff. Before ballots were cast, nine cardinals were appointed to serve key roles in overseeing the process: the Scrutineers, Infirmarii, and Revisers.
In this highly structured and secretive process, if any discrepancy arises—such as a mismatch between the number of ballots and voters—the vote is invalidated and must be repeated. With more participants than in previous conclaves, the logistics of this vote may have contributed to the delay.
Meanwhile, anticipation rippled through St. Peter’s Square, where more than 45,000 faithful and curious onlookers gathered. Applause broke out several times over the past hour, sparked not by smoke, but by excitement and spontaneous reactions from the crowd.
The conclave’s secrecy serves a deeper purpose. According to Rev. Sam Sawyer, a Jesuit priest and editor-in-chief of America Media, the confidentiality is designed to allow cardinals to deliberate and vote free from external influence.
“It gives them the freedom to vote within their own conscience for the man they think is best suited to be the pope,” Sawyer said.
Historically, such secrecy protected the process from political interference or dynastic control.
As the conclave continues, the world watches and waits for the next signal—white smoke—to announce the election of a new pope.
