The College of Cardinals failed to elect a new pope on Thursday morning as black smoke once again emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling no clear result after the rounds of voting.
The black smoke rose at 11:50 a.m. Rome time, following the second ballot of the day and the third overall since the start of the conclave on May 7.
With no candidate receiving the required two-thirds majority—89 votes—the Church continues to await the election of its 267th pope.
The cardinal electors returned to the Santa Marta guesthouse for a lunch break. According to Vatican officials, the next round of voting is expected to resume at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time.
Despite the absence of a result, anticipation remains high in St. Peter’s Square, where around 15,000 people gathered Thursday morning to witness the ritual signal.
Among the crowd were pilgrims, clergy, and curious tourists, united in hope and prayer for the outcome.
The 133 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, are voting in secret inside the Sistine Chapel, surrounded by the Renaissance frescoes of Michelangelo.
They are cut off from the outside world, and their only means of communication with the public is through the color of smoke that rises from the chapel’s chimney: black for no result, white for the successful election of a new pope.
The ongoing conclave follows the death of Pope Francis on April 21, ending a 12-year pontificate marked by global outreach, synodal reform, and advocacy for the marginalized.
This is the most internationally diverse conclave in Church history, with cardinals from nearly 70 countries participating.
No frontrunner has yet emerged to lead the Catholic Church through a time of doctrinal tensions, declining Western attendance, and unresolved abuse crises.
