First Conclave Ballot Yields No Winner as Black Smoke Emerges from Sistine Chapel
Cardinals fail to elect a successor to Pope Francis on the first voting day during the conclave in Rome.
On May 7, 2025, the first ballot in the conclave of cardinals tasked with electing the successor to Pope Francis ended without a clear winner.
No candidate received the two-thirds majority required among the 133 voting cardinals sequestered in the Sistine Chapel.
The event drew a diverse crowd to St. Peter's Square, where observers, including tourists, local families, and religious figures, gathered in anticipation.
A sense of anticipation turned into disappointment as black smoke billowed from the chimney above the chapel at approximately 9 p.m., later than the expected time of around 7 p.m. The smoke signified that the cardinals had not yet reached a consensus on a new leader for the Catholic Church.
Among those present was 76-year-old Joanne Harwell from South Carolina, who expressed her dismay after waiting for a glimpse of white smoke, the traditional sign of a new pope being elected.
Uncertainty remains as the cardinals prepare for further rounds of voting in the coming days.
No candidate received the two-thirds majority required among the 133 voting cardinals sequestered in the Sistine Chapel.
The event drew a diverse crowd to St. Peter's Square, where observers, including tourists, local families, and religious figures, gathered in anticipation.
A sense of anticipation turned into disappointment as black smoke billowed from the chimney above the chapel at approximately 9 p.m., later than the expected time of around 7 p.m. The smoke signified that the cardinals had not yet reached a consensus on a new leader for the Catholic Church.
Among those present was 76-year-old Joanne Harwell from South Carolina, who expressed her dismay after waiting for a glimpse of white smoke, the traditional sign of a new pope being elected.
Uncertainty remains as the cardinals prepare for further rounds of voting in the coming days.
