Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, the cardinals locked themselves inside the Sistine Chapel to elect his successor. The first vote of the conclave ended with black smoke rising, signaling no new pope was chosen.
On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, black smoke rose from the Vatican chimney, indicating that the Catholic cardinals, as anticipated, had not yet reached a consensus on who should be the next Pope.
Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square were asked to be patient, as it took over three hours after the cardinals convened before any smoke appeared from the chimney.
The next round of voting to choose the successor of Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025, is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
