Thick black smoke billowed Thursday from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in a sign that cardinals again failed to elect a new head of the Catholic Church.
Amidst the crowd of thousands of Catholics and curious tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square, there was a mixture of applause and sighs when the results were announced after the second and third ballots.
On Wednesday evening, 133 cardinals convened in a secret conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
In isolation from the outside world, the cardinals communicate their progress by burning their ballots, sending either black or white smoke through the chimney of the 15th-century chapel’s frescoed roof.
Black smoke indicates that no candidate has reached the required two-thirds majority—89 votes—while white smoke signals the election of the 267th pope.
The first black smoke appeared on Wednesday evening, about three hours and 15 minutes after the cardinals had entered the conclave, which left the gathered crowds disappointed.
However, many returned on Thursday, where the red-robed cardinals conducted two more ballots in the morning. Two additional ballots were scheduled for the afternoon, with four more planned for Friday, unless a pope is elected sooner.
“I don’t want it rushed—whatever they need to do to make the right decision,” said Barbara Mason, 50, who traveled from Canada to witness the conclave.
She hoped for a pope who would continue the progressive path of Francis, particularly championing causes such as environmental protection and migrant rights, “moving forward, not backward.”
Pope Francis, the charismatic Argentine reformer who sought to open the Church during his 12-year papacy, passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.
