By Sekaggya Seka Moses
Yesterday the College of Cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to elect the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, due to a stroke and heart failure.
As the cardinal electors cast their votes, the world waited anxiously for the outcome.
At 21:00 Rome time, black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that no new pope has been elected.
The conclave, which began earlier on Wednesday with the doors of the Sistine Chapel closing with the words “Extra omnes” or “Everyone out,” resumed today morning at 10:30 am Rome time.
The cardinal electors gathered once more to cast their votes, following a centuries-old tradition of secrecy and prayer.
The 133 Cardinal electors gathered in the Sistine Chapel for the second round of voting have not yet chosen a new Pope, as indicated by the black smoke billowing from the chimney. The conclave will continue with further rounds of voting.
To become a pope, a candidate needs a two-thirds majority vote from the eligible cardinals, who are under the age of 80.
Currently, there are 135 cardinal electors participating in the conclave. The process may take several days, with up to four rounds of voting taking place daily.
The black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel is a centuries-old tradition used to communicate the outcome of the conclave to the world.
Black smoke indicates that no pope has been chosen, while white smoke will signal the election of a new leader of the Catholic Church.
The conclave will continue until a new pope is elected, who will then be introduced to the world with the traditional “Habemus Papam” announcement from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
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