The Catholic Church remains without a new pope as black smoke again billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning, signaling that the College of Cardinals has not yet elected a new pope.
At 11:51 a.m. Rome time, dark smoke rose above St. Peter’s Basilica following three unsuccessful rounds of voting. This will be the second straight day without a decision as pilgrims worldwide have gathered in St. Peter’s Square to witness the historic process.
The conclave follows Pope Francis’s death on April 21. A total of 133 cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, and a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, is needed to elect a new pope.
Elizabeth Whelan of Newfoundland, Canada, told the National Catholic Reporter that she was not surprised by the delay. “You have to trust the process. You don’t want them to rush it. You just want them to make the right decision.”
Colter Sikora of Madison, Wisconsin, also spoke to the National Catholic Reporter and said, “I’m not particularly attached to having a specific model of a pope. I just want a good one. God’s got to take care of it. It’s his job.”
Lucia Pérez of Argentina shared with the National Catholic Reporter that she hoped the next pope would continue Francis’s work. “He showed us a church that doesn’t judge you but one that embraces you.”
Trent Brown, from Stonewall, Canada, told the National Catholic Reporter that he was rooting for a balanced pope like Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. “I took a bet that it wouldn’t go longer than a week,” he said, smiling while waving a Canadian flag.
Inside the Sistine Chapel, the voting process continues under strict secrecy. According to Vatican News and Al Jazeera, the cardinals vote up to four times a day; two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Each vote is cast on a ballot reading “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (I elect as Supreme Pontiff) and dropped into a chalice after an oath is sworn.
Cardinals lodge at the Domus Sanctae Marthae and spend non-voting hours in quiet meals and conversations that often shape future votes. “This is where coalitions and alliances are made,” said Dr. Steven P. Millies of the Catholic Theological Union in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Meals remain modest, mainly comprising pasta, white meat or fish, vegetables, bread, and fruit. Pope Francis himself influenced the simplicity of the meal.
“You don’t eat very well,” Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi told The New York Times.
As black smoke signals failure, thousands remain hopeful. White smoke will eventually announce the successful election of the next pope.
