No Pope on Day One: Cardinals to Resume Voting -

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Vatican City, May 8, 2025

On Wednesday evening, black smoke came out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. This means that the cardinals have not yet agreed on who the next pope will be. To choose a pope, a two-thirds majority is needed, but that did not happen on the first day.

Earlier in the day, 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel to start the voting process, which is called the conclave. These cardinals are from all over the world and are under the age of 80. Their job is to pick the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, which has about 1.4 billion followers around the globe.

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The word “conclave” comes from Latin and means “with a key.” That’s because once the cardinals go inside the chapel, the doors are locked, and no one is allowed in or out. They are not allowed to talk to anyone outside until a new pope is chosen.

Before they started voting, the cardinals attended a special Mass called “Pro Eligendo Papa,” which means “For the Election of the Pope.” After the Mass, they swore to keep everything secret.

Inside the chapel, each cardinal writes the name of the person they vote for on a piece of paper. The votes are counted, and then the papers are burned. The smoke from the chimney tells the world the result. If the smoke is black, it means no one was chosen. If the smoke is white, it means a new pope has been elected.

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The cardinals will meet again on Thursday morning. They will begin the day with another Mass and then vote again. If no one is chosen in the morning, they will vote two more times in the afternoon. From now on, there can be four votes each day—two in the morning and two in the afternoon. If no one is chosen after three full days, they will stop for one day to pray and reflect before continuing.

In Rome, many people have gathered to watch the event. The road leading to St. Peter’s Square is full of pilgrims, journalists, church members, and tourists. Many are waiting to see the white smoke, which will mean a new pope has been chosen. Around the world, millions of Catholics are watching and waiting for the important moment when someone will come out and say, Habemus Papam which means “We have a pope.”

Even though the first day did not bring a result, the voting will continue. People everywhere are waiting patiently and hopefully for the Church to choose its new leader.

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