For the second day in a row, thick black smoke has risen from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, signalling that the cardinal electors of the Roman Catholic Church have not yet reached consensus on who should succeed Pope Francis, who died on April 21 aged 88.
The Vatican confirmed the inconclusive result just before midday Thursday, after the third round of secret balloting.
“Black smoke billows from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, meaning the 133 Cardinal electors have not yet chosen a new Pope,” Vatican News said in a statement.
At exactly 11:51 a.m. local time, the plume of dark smoke declared that no candidate had garnered the two-thirds majority—at least 89 votes—required to become the next pope.
The electors were expected to return for a fourth vote later in the afternoon.
Held under centuries-old rules, the conclave brings together all cardinals under the age of 80 and seals them off from the outside world within the Vatican.
The term “conclave” itself comes from the Latin cum clave, meaning “with a key”—a reference to the practice of locking the cardinals in until they reach a decision. They have sworn an oath of secrecy and relinquished all forms of communication, including mobile phones and the internet.
Voting takes place in up to four rounds each day—two in the morning and two in the afternoon. After each ballot, the votes are burned in a special stove inside the Sistine Chapel.
Chemicals are added to the fire to produce black smoke if the vote is inconclusive, and white smoke if a new pope has been chosen.
This year’s conclave reflects the changing face of global Catholicism. The 133 cardinal electors represent 70 countries, underscoring the demographic shift from Europe toward Africa, Asia, and Latin America. But it also mirrors a Church pulled in different directions.
Sources close to the proceedings say there is no clear frontrunner, with the cardinals weighing the legacy of Pope Francis’s reformist papacy against growing calls for a return to more traditional doctrine and governance.
Recent conclaves have typically produced results quickly. Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005 after just four ballots over two days, while Pope Francis emerged in 2013 after five ballots, also over two days.
But history shows that prolonged deliberations are possible.
The longest papal election, which took place in Viterbo between 1268 and 1271, dragged on for nearly three years and only ended when frustrated townspeople locked the cardinals in and restricted their meals to bread and water.
Though there is no formal time limit, the conclave must continue until one candidate secures the necessary majority. Until then, the faithful—and the world—continue to watch the chapel chimney for signs of a breakthrough.
Crowds packed into St. Peter’s Square sighed audibly when the black smoke appeared. Some clasped their rosaries or held candles. Others simply stared upward, hopeful.
“It’s a sacred moment. We’re praying not just for a new pope, but for unity,” said Lucia Tomassi, a pilgrim from Argentina who stood among thousands in the square. “The Church is at a crossroads.”
In a surreal echo of the 2013 conclave, several seagulls circled above the Sistine Chapel roof as the smoke rose—reminding some onlookers of the lone gull that famously perched on the chimney just before Francis was elected.
The world now awaits the moment when the smoke turns white and the bells of St. Peter’s ring out in jubilation.
Then a senior cardinal, appearing on the basilica balcony, will deliver the ancient words: “Habemus Papam”—We have a pope.