Black smoke was seen rising from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel at 9 p.m. local time Wednesday — signaling to 1.4 billion Catholics that the election of a new pope will continue.
Cardinals from around the world have been gathered at the Vatican since early Wednesday morning to confer, meditate and pray before casting their ballots to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church.
The traditional and secretive process, known as the papal conclave, means that more than 130 cardinals from about 70 countries will be barred from contact with the outside world until they elect the successor of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, 16 days ago, at the age of 88.
When a candidate receives the required two-thirds majority of the votes, a new pope is chosen — a historic moment signaled by white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the proclamation “habemus papam” (“We have a pope,” in Latin) from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The smoke is produced by burning the ballots, which are mixed with chemicals to create the distinctive color.
If no candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority, black smoke appears instead, indicating that the process will continue tomorrow. There will be two votes each day until the conclave reaches a consensus.
Earlier on Wednesday, the red-robed church leaders processed into St. Peter’s Basilica to take part in the Holy Mass “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” (mass for the election of the Roman pontiff) presided over by Giovanni Cardinal Battista Re, who has served as dean of the College of Cardinals since 2020.
The 91-year-old Italian cardinal, who is ineligible to vote due to his age, called for unity within the Church and asked God for guidance “so that the pope elected may be he whom the church and humanity needs at this difficult and complex turning point in history.”
Live from the Sixtine Chapel | Conclave Procession and Cardinals’ Solemn Oath.
Let us pray together for the Cardinals present at the Conclave and for the future Pope.
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) May 7, 2025
Just before 11 a.m. Eastern time, the cardinals made a solemn procession into the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, where they will take an oath of secrecy and cast their ballots.
There’s no precise timetable for when smoke will appear from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
After the death of Pope Clement IV in 1268, it took nearly three years for a new pope to be announced. His successor, Pope Gregory X, was elected in 1271.
Pope Francis, however, was elected in 2013 on the fifth ballot, while his predecessor, Benedict XVI, ascended after four rounds in 2005.
With News Wire Services
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