No pope chosen on 1st day of conclave, voting to resume

New Delhi, May 8: The first day of the papal conclave concluded without the election of a new pope, signalling that the 133 voting cardinals will return to the Sistine Chapel tomorrow for up to four additional rounds of voting. To elect a new pontiff, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority. The cardinals, who are sequestered within the Vatican during the process, will continue voting until a successor to Pope Francis is chosen.

As tradition dictates, the conclusion of each voting session is marked by smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney. Black smoke indicates that no consensus has been reached, while white smoke signals the election of a new pope.

Wednesday’s proceedings extended later into the evening than some previous conclaves. The slower pace was attributed to several logistical aspects of the process, including the ceremonial oath-taking, the individual casting of ballots at the altar, and the selection of officials to oversee vote counting and verification. Historically, the elections of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis were relatively quick, with both being selected on the second day of voting. Earlier 20th-century conclaves, however, often lasted longer. The 1903 conclave that elected Pope Pius X took five days, a duration matched in 1939 for the election of Pope Pius XII.

With no resolution on the first day, global attention remains fixed on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, awaiting the white smoke that will announce the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.