Vatican City: The Catholic Church’s cardinal electors reconvened in the Sistine Chapel on Thursday for the second day of the conclave, tasked with choosing a successor to Pope Francis.
According to Ansa News Agency, the initial smoke signal from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney on Wednesday was black, signifying that none of the 133 participating prelates achieved the requisite two-thirds majority to be elected as the 267th pontiff. The conclave will continue with up to four votes and two smoke signals daily until a new pope is elected.
On Thursday, the first smoke signal is anticipated around noon unless the first vote of the day results in a new pope, in which case white smoke would appear at approximately 10:30 a.m. Similarly, the evening smoke signal is expected around 7:00 p.m., unless the afternoon’s first vote is decisive, in which case white smoke would be seen at about 5:30 p.m. During the conclave, cardinals are secluded from the outside world until a new leader for the Catholic Church is chosen.
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thful followers began gathering in St. Peter’s Square early on Thursday, their attention fixed on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, eagerly awaiting the next smoke signal. The conclave follows the passing of Pope Francis, who died on April 21, Easter Monday, at the age of 88 after leading the Church for 12 years.
