Black Smoke Rises: No New Pope Selected on First Day of Conclave

VATICAN CITY — Thick black smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday evening, signaling that Catholic cardinals failed to elect a new pope on the first day of the conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis.

The smoke appeared more than three hours after the conclave began, a longer delay than in the 2013 papal election. According to Vatican tradition, if no pope is selected, ballots are burned with a mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulfur to produce black smoke. When a new pope is chosen, the ballots are mixed with potassium chlorate, lactose, and chloroform resin to create white smoke.

Modern papal elections have never yielded a pope on the first day. Some cardinals had expressed hope that the selection might be made by the end of Tuesday or Wednesday. All 133 cardinal-electors—those under the age of 80—will spend the night at the Vatican guesthouse before resuming voting Wednesday morning. Two voting rounds are scheduled each morning and afternoon until a candidate receives the required two-thirds majority—at least 89 votes.

Historically, recent conclaves have been brief. The 2013 and 2005 conclaves both concluded within two days. Thousands of faithful are gathered in St. Peter’s Square, watching for the moment when white smoke finally signals the arrival of a new pontiff.

Before the conclave began, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, a 91-year-old Italian prelate who is no longer eligible to vote, urged his fellow cardinals to put aside “personal calculations” and focus solely on “the good of the Church and humanity.” He also stressed the importance of choosing a pope who respects the Church’s internal diversity.

Some conservative voices had previously criticized Pope Francis for being too open to the LGBTQ+ community, Protestant and Muslim leaders, and for his progressive stance on various Church issues. Among the frontrunners mentioned by international media are Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

If no decision is reached after three days of voting, the process will pause for one day of prayer and reflection. During the conclave, strict confidentiality rules apply: cardinals are prohibited from communicating with the outside world, including reading news, sending messages, or discussing the election. Violators risk expulsion from the conclave.

There is no fixed deadline. The cardinals will continue voting until someone receives the required supermajority to become the next pope.

(Source: Reuters)

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