No Pope Yet: Black Smoke Rises from Sistine Chapel After First Conclave Vote

Thick black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, signaling that the College of Cardinals has failed to elect a new pope on the first day of voting.

The plume, watched closely by thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square and millions around the world, marked the end of the initial round of balloting in the highly secretive papal conclave. A total of 133 cardinal electors are currently locked inside the historic chapel, tasked with selecting the successor to Pope Francis, who passed away last month after a 12-year papacy.

The black smoke—created by burning the ballots along with special chemicals—indicates no candidate received the required two-thirds majority needed to be chosen as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

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The tradition dates back centuries and continues to serve as the primary visual cue for the outcome of each vote. The first day of the conclave typically includes just one round of voting, with subsequent days seeing up to four votes daily until a decision is reached.

The mood in the square was one of quiet anticipation as the faithful waited, hoping for white smoke that would announce a new spiritual leader for the Church’s 1.4 billion followers.

As the cardinals retreat into further rounds of deliberation, attention now turns to who among them will emerge as the next pontiff—one who will be tasked with guiding the Church through an era of significant global, social, and theological challenges.