Black Smoke from Sistine Chapel Signals First Ballot Failure in Papal Conclave
Cardinals conclude initial voting round without electing a new pope.
VATICAN CITY: Black smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signaling that the first ballot of the conclave to elect a new pope has not resulted in a decision.
The smoke was observed at 9 p.m., approximately four hours after 133 cardinals entered the chapel, took their oaths of secrecy, and commenced the election process.
This ritual is part of a long-standing tradition aimed at selecting a successor to Pope Francis following his resignation.
In order to secure the papacy, a candidate must achieve a two-thirds majority, which requires a total of 89 votes from the participating cardinals.
However, the conclave's first vote did not yield a sufficient number of votes for any candidate.
As a result, the cardinals will retreat to their designated residences within the Vatican for the night.
The conclave will reconvene on Thursday morning to continue the election process as the Catholic Church seeks a new leader for its 1.4 billion followers worldwide.
The smoke was observed at 9 p.m., approximately four hours after 133 cardinals entered the chapel, took their oaths of secrecy, and commenced the election process.
This ritual is part of a long-standing tradition aimed at selecting a successor to Pope Francis following his resignation.
In order to secure the papacy, a candidate must achieve a two-thirds majority, which requires a total of 89 votes from the participating cardinals.
However, the conclave's first vote did not yield a sufficient number of votes for any candidate.
As a result, the cardinals will retreat to their designated residences within the Vatican for the night.
The conclave will reconvene on Thursday morning to continue the election process as the Catholic Church seeks a new leader for its 1.4 billion followers worldwide.
