Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on the evening of May 7. This means that during their first and only vote to date, the cardinals participating in the conclave did not elect a Pope.
Points of attention
- The recent conclave in the Vatican failed to elect a new Pope on the first vote, signaling a prolonged voting process.
- A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new Pope, leading to multiple rounds of voting in the Sistine Chapel.
The conclave did not elect a new pontiff
Earlier, 133 cardinal electors entered the Sistine Chapel in a solemn procession, beginning the conclave that will elect the next and 267th Pope.
Locked "cum clave" — with a key — in the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals began the election of Peter's 267th successor.
A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new Pope, in this case at least 89 votes.
Black smoke emerged from the chimney over the Sistine Chapel at 21:00 on Wednesday evening, signalling that a first ballot has been held at the conclave and has concluded without the election of a Pope.https://t.co/hlmAJdskTO pic.twitter.com/AKxuUbDK2g
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 7, 2025
There can be up to four rounds of voting each day. The first ballot was cast on the evening of May 7. Voting will then take place four times a day for the following days, twice in the morning and twice in the evening.
Black smoke signals an inconclusive vote; white smoke, accompanied by the ringing of bells, will herald the arrival of a new Pope.
This conclave is one of the most diverse in history, with voters coming from 70 countries, reflecting Pope Francis' efforts to broaden representation in the Church.
No Pope was elected on the first day of the conclave, so voting could take several days before one of the cardinals receives the necessary two-thirds majority to become the 267th pontiff.
