Cardinals have entered the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, with no successor chosen after the first day of deliberations.
The 133 cardinals from 70 countries are now conducting four voting sessions on Thursday—two in the morning and two in the afternoon—as they seek to select the next leader of the Catholic Church.
White smoke from the chapel’s chimney will signal when a new pontiff has received the required two-thirds majority of 89 votes. The first possible smoke signal could appear as early as 10:30 after the morning’s initial ballot.
If no decision is reached, black smoke will emerge only after the second and fourth ballots, approximately at noon and 8 pm. No smoke signals follow the first and third voting sessions if inconclusive, as cardinals proceed directly to the next round.
Vatican observers note that while cardinals had suggested a brief conclave might be possible, recent papal elections have typically required between three and eight ballots to reach consensus.
Cardinals Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle remain prominent candidates, according to Euronews, though deliberations remain strictly confidential.
This conclave represents the most geographically diverse College of Cardinals in the Church’s history, reflecting the global reach of Catholicism’s 1.4 billion followers.
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