Black smoke was seen wafting from a chimney on Thursday above the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the 133 Catholic cardinal electors tasked with choosing a new pope to succeed Pope Francis had voted inconclusively for a third time. The cardinals were sequestered for a second day Thursday as the 2025 conclave continued.
On Wednesday evening, the prelates from six continents conducted a first round of voting in the Sistine Chapel, but sent black smoke up through the chimney in the evening to indicate that a new pontiff had not yet been chosen.
The conclave began Wednesday, 16 days after Pope Francis, who led the world's 1.4 billion Catholics for 12 years, died at the age of 88.
Black smoke is seen from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel meaning a new pope is not yet elected and voting will continue tomorrow, May 7, 2025, at the Vatican.
Christopher Furlong/Getty
A new pope will be selected when a candidate gets a two-thirds-plus-one majority vote by the cardinal electors. White smoke will be sent up the chimney of the Sistine Chapel when that happens, to indicate a new pope has been chosen.
Until that threshold — 89 votes for one man — has been reached, the electors will hold two votes every morning of the conclave and then two more votes in the afternoon after a lunch break. Black smoke after each round of voting indicates there is still no new pontiff.
It is impossible to predict how long the conclave will last, but many observers expect the cardinals to choose a new pontiff, likely from among their own ranks, within a few days.
"I think the church at the moment realizes that they need to bring people together, that they don't want the church to look split," papal historian Rebecca Rist told CBS News partner network BBC News. "So I suspect we'll have the decision by Saturday."
Spectators started lining up early on Thursday to enter St. Peter's Square, after tens of thousands gathered to watch Wednesday evening's smoke signal.
People gather in front of St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica, on the second day of the conclave to elect the new pope, as seen from Rome, Italy May 8, 2025.
Alkis Konstantinidis / REUTERS
"I don't mind that it's black smoke, it shows the Holy Spirit is at work," James Kleineck, who was visiting the Vatican from his home in Texas, said Wednesday. "There will be other votes soon enough. We will get our pope."
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