At the Sistine Chapel, black smoke rose dramatically from the chimney, signaling that the Catholic Cardinals had not yet agreed on a new Pope. This visual cue came nearly three hours after 133 Cardinals entered the chapel for their secret voting session.
The absence of white smoke means that the two-thirds majority required to elect the new leader of the Catholic Church was not achieved. Traditionally, white smoke signals a successful election.
The initial round of voting took longer than anticipated, adding to the suspense in Vatican City. It’s been quite some time since a Pope has been elected on the first ballot, and around 30,000 people gathered at St. Peter’s Square, anxiously awaiting updates from the chapel.
The Cardinals will reconvene to vote again on Thursday. During this process, they are completely isolated from the outside world to prevent any outside influence. They are also prohibited from using phones, accessing the internet, or reading newspapers while staying at Casa Santa Marta, which includes over a hundred suites and apartments.
Interestingly, both Pope Francis and his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, were selected just two days after voting began.
This is an evolving story, and updates are expected.
