First Day Of Papal Conclave Concludes With Black Smoke | rssama.com

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black fume poured retired of nan Sistine Chapel chimney connected Wednesday, signalling that nary pope had been elected arsenic 133 cardinals opened nan secretive, centuries-old ritual to take a caller leader of nan Catholic Church.

The cardinals participating successful nan astir geographically divers conclave successful nan faith’s 2,000-year history took conscionable 1 information of voting Wednesday evening. After failing to find a victor connected nan first ballot, they retired for nan nighttime and will return to nan Sistine Chapel connected Thursday greeting to effort to find a successor to Pope Francis.

They had opened nan conclave Wednesday afternoon, participating successful a rite much theatrical than moreover Hollywood could create, a lavation of red-robed cardinals, Latin chants, incense and solemnity that underscored nan seriousness of nan moment.

Outside successful St. Peter’s Square, nan segment was festive, arsenic thousands of group flocked to nan piazza to watch nan proceedings connected elephantine video screens, applauding erstwhile nan Sistine Chapel’s doors slammed unopen and nan voting began. They waited for hours, watching screens that showed conscionable a skinny chimney and occasional seagull. After nan ballot dragged connected to dinnertime, immoderate near successful frustration, but those who stayed shouted erstwhile nan fume yet billowed out.

“My dream is that cardinals will take a man who tin beryllium a peacemaker and could reunify nan church,” said Gabriel Capry, a 27-year-old from London.

A divers group of cardinals

Hailing from 70 countries, nan cardinals were sequestered Wednesday from nan extracurricular world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves astir nan Vatican jammed to forestall each communications until they find a caller pope.

Francis named 108 of nan 133 “princes of nan church,” choosing galore pastors successful his image from far-flung countries for illustration Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had ne'er had a cardinal before.

His determination to surpass nan accustomed limit of 120 cardinal electors and see younger ones from nan “global south” — often marginalized countries pinch little economical clout — has injected an unusual grade of uncertainty successful a process that is ever afloat of enigma and suspense.

Many cardinals hadn’t met until past week and lamented they needed much clip to get to cognize 1 another, raising questions astir really agelong it mightiness return for 1 man to unafraid nan two-thirds majority, aliases 89 ballots, basal to go nan 267th pope.

“Wait and see, a small patience, hold and see,” said Cardinal Mario Zenari, nan Vatican’s ambassador to Syria.

This photograph shows achromatic fume rising from nan chimney of nan Sistine Chapel, signaling that cardinals grounded to elite a caller pope successful nan first ballot of their conclave successful nan Vatican connected May 7, 2025.

ALBERTO PIZZOLI via Getty Images

The oath and “Extra omnes”

The cardinals had entered nan Sistine Chapel successful pairs, chanting nan meditative “Litany of nan Saints” arsenic Swiss Guards stood astatine attention. The hymn implores nan saints to thief nan cardinals find a leader of nan 1.4 billion-strong church.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, nan 70-year-old caput of authorities nether Francis and himself a starring contender to win him arsenic pope, assumed nan activity of nan proceedings arsenic nan elder cardinal nether property 80 eligible to participate.

He stood earlier Michelangelo’s imagination of eden and hell, “The Last Judgment,” and led nan different cardinals successful a lengthy oath. Each 1 followed, placing his manus connected nan Gospel and promising successful Latin to support utmost secrecy.

Earlier successful nan day, nan dean of nan College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided complete a greeting Mass successful St. Peter’s Basilica urging nan voters to group speech each individual interests and find a pope who prizes unity. He prayed for a pope who could awaken nan conscience of nan world.

He reminded nan cardinals that nan awesomeness of nan Sistine Chapel’s frescoes is meant to punctual nan cardinals of nan weighty work they bear. In his regulations for nan conclave, Re recalled, St. John Paul II wrote that successful nan Sistine Chapel, “everything is conducive to an consciousness of nan beingness of God.”

After nan cardinals took their oaths, nan maestro of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, called retired “extra omnes,” Latin for “all out” and anyone not eligible to ballot near earlier nan chapel doors closed. An aged cardinal remained to present a meditation, but aft he finished, he too, had to time off since he was excessively aged to vote.

While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will apt return astatine slightest a fewer rounds of voting. For overmuch of nan past century, it has taken betwixt 3 and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — nan pope who reigned for 33 days successful 1978 — was elected connected nan 4th ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected connected nan 5th successful 2013.

Lobbying earlier nan conclave

The cardinals are expected to defy immoderate “secular” influences successful their prime of pope, but specified lobbying abounded successful Rome successful nan days earlier nan conclave arsenic various groups reminded cardinals of what mean Catholics want successful a leader.

Young Catholics penned an unfastened missive reminding cardinals that location is nary religion without young people, women and nan laity. Conservative Catholic media slipped cardinals copies of a glossy book containing their assessments of contenders. Survivors of clergy intersexual maltreatment warned cardinals that they would beryllium held accountable if they grounded to find a leader who will ace down connected decades of maltreatment and cover-up.

Advocates for women’s ordination sent pinkish fume signals Wednesday complete nan Vatican to request that women beryllium allowed to beryllium priests and participate successful a conclave.

Even nan White House sewage involved, posting a photograph of President Donald Trump dressed arsenic a pope. Trump said it was a joke, but nan motion was denounced by erstwhile Italian Premier Romano Prodi arsenic “indecent” governmental interference successful matters of religion that hark backmost to times erstwhile secular rulers intervened successful conclaves.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, nan archbishop of New York, said location was besides plentifulness of lobbying going connected among cardinals themselves.

“You induce each different out,” Dolan said connected SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel earlier nan conclave began. “And you’re beautiful blunt. Now, we’re not, you know, we’re not equine trading here. We’re saying, ‘Tell maine astir this guy. You’re from Latin America. Go done nan database of bishops. Tell maine immoderate of these fellas. Am I correct to beryllium enchanted by this guy?’”

Lisette Herrera, a 54-year-old tourer from nan Dominican Republic, was profoundly moved to find herself by chance successful Rome arsenic nan conclave began. She decided Wednesday greeting to skip nan Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and believe alternatively successful St. Peter’s Square.

“I’m praying to nan Holy Spirit for a young pope who would enactment pinch america for a agelong time,” she said. “I don’t judge successful conclave politics, I conscionable consciousness that nan Holy Spirit is present and that’s each we request to know.”

Challenges facing a caller pope

Many challenges await nan caller pope and measurement connected nan cardinals — supra each whether to proceed and consolidate Francis’ progressive bequest connected promoting women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, nan situation and migrants, aliases rotation it backmost to effort to unify a religion that became much polarized during his pontificate. The clergy activity maltreatment scandal hung complete nan pre-conclave talks.

Since Francis chose 80% of nan voters, continuity is likely, but nan shape it mightiness return is uncertain and identifying front-runners has been a challenge.

But immoderate names support appearing connected lists of “papabile,” aliases cardinals having nan qualities to beryllium pope. In summation to Parolin, they include:

— Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, a apical campaigner to beryllium history’s first Asian pope. He headed nan Vatican’s evangelization agency responsible for nan Catholic Church successful overmuch of nan processing world.

— Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, nan archbishop of Budapest, is simply a starring campaigner representing nan much blimpish helping of nan church.

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AP reporters Giada Zampano and Vanessa Gera contributed.

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Associated Press belief sum receives support done nan AP’s collaboration pinch The Conversation US, pinch backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.