Black Smoke Ends First Day of Vatican Conclave; 133 Cardinals Fail to Elect Pope

A conclave of 133 Roman Catholic cardinals from 70 countries entered the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on 7 May, initiating the process to elect the 267th pope after the death of Pope Francis in April at the age of 88. The chapel doors were sealed at 5:43 p.m. with the traditional Latin command “Extra omnes,” cutting the electors off from external contact. Under conclave rules, the cardinals will cast secret ballots until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority, equal to at least 89 votes. After each round, the ballots are burned in a specially fitted stove: black smoke signals an inconclusive vote, while white smoke announces the election of a new pontiff. Only one ballot was held on the first evening. At about 9:00 p.m. Rome time black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, confirming that no consensus had been reached. The cardinals will reconvene on Thursday, when as many as four rounds of voting can be held each day until white smoke heralds the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.