Black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday (May 7, 2025), signalling that no pope had been elected as 133 cardinals opened the secretive, centuries-old ritual to decide on a brand new chief of the Catholic Church.
The cardinals taking part within the most geographically numerous conclave within the religion’s 2,000-year historical past took only one spherical of voting on Wednesday night (May 7, 2025). After failing to discover a winner on the first poll, they retired for the evening and can return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning (May 8, 2025) to attempt to discover a successor to Pope Francis.
They had opened the conclave on Wednesday afternoon (May 7, 2025), taking part in a ceremony extra theatrical than even Hollywood may create, a wash of red-robed cardinals, Latin chants, incense and solemnity that underscored the seriousness of the second.
Outside in St. Peter’s Square, the scene was festive, as hundreds of individuals flocked to the piazza to look at the proceedings on big video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel’s doorways slammed shut and the voting started. They waited for hours, watching screens that confirmed only a skinny chimney and occasional seagull. After the vote dragged on to dinnertime, some left in frustration, however those that stayed cheered when the smoke lastly billowed out.
“My hope is that cardinals will choose a man who can be a peacemaker and could reunify the church,” mentioned Gabriel Capry, a 27-year-old from London.
A various group of cardinals Hailing from 70 nations, the cardinals have been sequestered Wednesday from the surface world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves across the Vatican jammed to stop all communications till they discover a new pope.
Pope Francis named 108 of the 133 “princes of the church,” selecting many pastors in his picture from far-flung nations like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had by no means had a cardinal earlier than.
His choice to surpass the standard restrict of 120 cardinal electors and embrace youthful ones from the “global south” — typically marginalised nations with decrease financial clout — has injected an uncommon diploma of uncertainty in a course of that’s all the time stuffed with thriller and suspense.
Many cardinals hadn’t met till final week and lamented they wanted extra time to get to know each other, elevating questions on how lengthy it would take for one man to safe the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, essential to turn out to be the 267th pope.
“Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see,” mentioned Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s ambassador to Syria.
The cardinals had entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” as Swiss Guards stood at consideration. The hymn implores the saints to assist the cardinals discover a chief of the 1.4 billion-strong church.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old secretary of state beneath Pope Francis and himself a number one contender to succeed him as pope, assumed the management of the proceedings because the senior cardinal beneath age 80 eligible to take part.
He stood earlier than Michelangelo’s imaginative and prescient of heaven and hell, “The Last Judgment,” and led the opposite cardinals in a prolonged oath. Each one adopted, inserting his hand on the Gospel and promising in Latin to take care of utmost secrecy.
Since Pope Francis selected 80% of the voters, continuity is probably going, however the kind it would take is unsure and figuring out front-runners has been a problem.
But some names hold showing on lists of “papabile”, or cardinals having the qualities to be pope.
— Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, an Italian who was Pope Francis’ secretary of state and the Vatican No. 2, is a number one contender.
— Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, is a prime candidate to be historical past’s first Asian pope. He had a equally high-profile job, heading the Vatican’s evangelisation workplace liable for the Catholic Church in a lot of the creating world.
— Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, the archbishop of Budapest, is a number one candidate representing the extra conservative wing of the church.
Published – May 08, 2025 12:40 am IST
