Black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday evening, signaling the failure of the College of Cardinals to elect a new pope on the first day of the conclave. While the 133 cardinals continue their deliberations, a demonstration by Catholic Women’s Ordination highlighted the ongoing debate surrounding gender inclusion within the Church, a key challenge facing the next pontiff.
VATICAN CITY — As darkness descended on St Peter’s Square on Wednesday evening, a hush swept through the expectant crowd. All eyes turned to the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, the age-old signal bearer of papal succession. At 9:05 p.m., plumes of thick, black smoke curled skyward—an unambiguous declaration that the 133 cardinals locked inside the Vatican enclave had failed to elect a new pope on the conclave’s first day.
The signal, though expected, drew a collective murmur from the more than 45,000 pilgrims, locals, and visitors gathered in the square—followed surprisingly by a round of applause. The moment was punctuated with chants, prayers, and spontaneous hymns. Some saw the continued deliberation as a sign of earnest reflection; others, a hint of the deep ideological divides left in the wake of Pope Francis’s death last month at the age of 88.
The conclave, steeped in centuries of tradition and secrecy, officially began late Wednesday afternoon after the cardinals—representing all corners of the Catholic world—processed solemnly into the Sistine Chapel and took the sacred oath of secrecy. Voting commenced around 5:45 p.m., following prayers for divine guidance.
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While the sacred interior of the chapel was cloaked in silence, outside it was a day of passionate participation, peaceful protest, and solemn remembrance. Alongside the pilgrims, a contingent of Catholic reform advocates staged a respectful demonstration calling for greater inclusion of women in Church leadership. Their presence, though not officially acknowledged by Vatican officials, added a contemporary urgency to the age-old ritual unfolding behind closed doors.
Among those in the square was Cinzia Caporali, who traveled with her husband from Tuscany to pay her respects at Pope Francis’s tomb in the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica. For her, the symbolism of the black smoke carried personal and spiritual weight.
“I remember the white smoke when Benedict was elected,” Caporali recalled, her eyes fixed on the now-quiet chimney. “People shouted ‘Fatto!’—it’s done. But now, I think people are hoping for more than a conclusion. They’re hoping for continuity.”
Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Global South, spent his 12-year papacy championing the poor, welcoming the marginalized, and confronting institutional sins. His legacy has left the College of Cardinals ideologically split: some firmly embrace his progressive reforms, while others yearn for a return to traditional orthodoxy.
Those divisions were palpable in the pre-conclave mass held in St Peter’s Basilica Wednesday morning, where Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who also led Francis’s funeral, offered a pointed homily. He urged his fellow cardinals to “cast aside all personal considerations,” and to “invoke the help of the Holy Spirit” in selecting a pope “whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history.”Black smoke signals Vatican conclave has failed to elect new pope on first day.
He echoed Francis’s own teachings, reminding them that “love is the only force capable of changing the world.”
That world, however, watches with both reverence and scrutiny. The Catholic Church faces formidable challenges: declining membership in the West, rising influence in the Global South, increasing calls for gender equity, and a credibility crisis fueled by scandals and internal divisions.
“We are not here just to witness history,” she said. “We are here hoping that the Spirit guides them to someone who can carry on Francis’s heart. This Church must walk forward, not backward.”
The cardinals will resume voting Thursday morning. The conclave will continue until one man—no less than two-thirds of the electors’ votes—is chosen to don the white cassock and step onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica as the 267th pope.
Until then, the chimney will remain the sole communicator of their sacred silence—black for no, white for yes. And the world will continue to wait, with bated breath, for smoke to turn to signal, and signal to shepherd.
As the College of Cardinals filed into the Sistine Chapel for the start of the 2025 conclave, the air around Vatican City was thick with more than just prayer and anticipation. While inside, 133 men prepared to cast ballots that could reshape the future of the Catholic Church, a very different kind of message was drifting into the Roman sky from the hills nearby—pink smoke, rising in silent protest.
On Gianicolo Hill, overlooking St Peter’s Basilica, members of the UK-based group Catholic Women’s Ordination (CWO) gathered in solemn defiance. Dressed in violet scarves and holding signs reading “Half the Church, Half the Voice,” they released their symbolic smoke, matching ritual with protest. The message was both poignant and pointed: the conclave, though cloaked in tradition, remains a bastion of gender exclusion.
“The cardinal-electors—133 men—will use smoke signals to communicate they have chosen a new pope,” said Miriam Duignan, spokesperson for the CWO. “We responded in kind. As they silence the voices of women, we sent a message of our own: this injustice will not go unnoticed.”
Inside the Vatican’s walls, the cardinals were preparing for what many hope will be a swift and unified decision. The prevailing sentiment before the conclave began was that no one wished for the process to drag on for more than two or three days. In part, this was logistical—but largely, it was symbolic. A prolonged conclave could signal division within the Church, something many believe it can no longer afford.
During the weeks of twice-daily pre-conclave meetings—known as general congregations—cardinals from every corner of the globe discussed the challenges the next pontiff must confront: the continuing scandal of clerical sexual abuse, mounting financial scrutiny within the Vatican, the Church’s role amid global conflict, and a rapidly changing moral landscape. They spoke of evangelisation, of service to the poor and displaced, of finding new language for an ancient faith.
But one topic was strikingly absent: the role of women in the Church.
Despite Pope Francis’s own complex legacy—he encouraged deeper female leadership but maintained the Church’s position against the ordination of women—the issue of gender inclusion found little echo among the male electors who will choose his successor.
For many Catholic women, this silence is deafening.
“The Church talks about justice and the dignity of all,” Duignan continued. “But when it comes to their own institutions, they refuse to live those values. Women continue to serve, to nurture, to lead from the margins—and yet we remain excluded from the rooms where decisions are made.”
Francis’s 12-year papacy marked unprecedented openness to women’s involvement in advisory and administrative roles, including appointments of women to Vatican departments once dominated by clergy. But it was always clear where his red lines lay: “The door to priesthood is closed,” he said on multiple occasions, citing theological tradition rather than moral reasoning.
As the conclave now unfolds behind the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel, the external tension between institutional continuity and prophetic reform is visible not just in the deliberations, but in the demonstrations. In St Peter’s Square, faithful pilgrims kneel in prayer, while just beyond, voices rise—often led by women—calling not for revolution, but recognition.
“We are not trying to dismantle the Church,” said one CWO member, her eyes fixed on the massive dome above. “We are asking it to become whole.”
For the College of Cardinals, the pressure is mounting—not only to elect a new pope, but to send a signal that the Church is capable of speaking with moral clarity in a fractured world. Unity, however, must not come at the cost of inclusion. As the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel continues to puff smoke into the skies—black for no pope, white for yes—the pink plume on the hill reminds us that the most pressing spiritual questions may not be answered inside the chapel, but just outside its reach.
Vatican Conclave Continues as Cardinals Struggle to Choose New Pope
The solemn process to choose the next pope remains unresolved after a first round of voting on Wednesday ended without consensus, as signaled by black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney. The 133 cardinal-electors — the largest number in conclave history — will return to their sequestered quarters and reconvene Thursday for what could be up to four additional rounds of voting.
A two-thirds majority is required to elect the next pontiff, meaning a candidate must secure the support of at least 89 cardinals. Despite the initial lack of consensus, the inconclusive first round came as no surprise to Vatican observers. Early ballots are traditionally exploratory, allowing factions within the College of Cardinals to test levels of support and build alliances.
This is the first papal conclave in over a decade and follows the death of Pope Francis just over two weeks ago. His 12-year tenure was marked by both reform and controversy, and the election of his successor arrives at a moment of deep reflection and division within the global Church. The next pope will inherit not only the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics but also a Church grappling with internal conflict, financial strains, and the ongoing fallout of sexual abuse scandals.
The cardinals, isolated without phones or internet access, took oaths of secrecy before entering the Sistine Chapel under the famed Michelangelo ceiling. Their deliberations are being closely watched around the world, with faithful hoping for clarity about the future direction of the Catholic Church.
This conclave is distinctive for its unfamiliar political landscape. Many of the participating cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis himself, and for some, this marks their first direct engagement with each other. That unfamiliarity, combined with divergent views on Francis’ legacy, could lengthen the process.
Among the rumored frontrunners are Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy, who served as the Vatican’s Secretary of State under Francis, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, a prominent voice from the growing Church in Asia. Parolin is seen as a steady hand with deep diplomatic experience, while Tagle represents a younger, more pastoral face aligned with Francis’ inclusive vision.
Observers say this conclave could become a referendum on Pope Francis’ leadership. Progressive factions within the Church are hoping to see his legacy continued, especially in light of his openness to marginalized groups and reforms on family and gender issues. More conservative voices, however, are pushing for a return to stricter traditions, citing concerns over unity and doctrinal clarity.
As voting resumes Thursday, the world waits — eyes fixed on the smoke above the Vatican — for the signal that a new spiritual leader has been chosen.
Paper Ballots and Sacred Oaths: The Objects Guiding the Conclave
As the solemn ritual to choose the next pope unfolds behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, much of what happens during the conclave remains shrouded in secrecy — guarded by centuries-old rules and sacred oaths. Yet even in this atmosphere of mystery, the process follows an ancient choreography shaped by ritual, symbolism, and a series of distinctive physical objects, each bearing deep historical and spiritual meaning.
The 133 cardinals tasked with selecting the next Supreme Pontiff — the successor to Pope Francis, who died last month — are engaged in one of the oldest and most tradition-bound processes in the modern world. While their deliberations are entirely private, the items they use and the structure of the voting process are well documented. These tools are not just functional; they underscore the spiritual gravity of the moment, reminding the cardinals that their decision will shape the future of the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion members.
A Setting of Sacred Simplicity
The Sistine Chapel, more often admired by tourists for Michelangelo’s towering frescoes, is transformed into a sacred decision-making chamber during the conclave. Rows of modest wooden tables line the floor, each assigned to a cardinal-elector. The tables and chairs are plain, without ornament — an intentional nod to humility. At the front of the chapel stands a larger table, where the officials who oversee the voting process perform their duties in accordance with Universi Dominici Gregis (U.D.G.), the apostolic constitution issued by Pope John Paul II in 1996, which governs the conclave.
The cardinals are under strict oath to maintain total secrecy. They surrender all means of communication — no phones, no internet, no contact with the outside world — and live in isolation at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican guesthouse, until a new pope is elected. This environment is designed to focus their attention fully on prayer, discernment, and duty.
The Paper Ballots
At the heart of the voting process is a small, rectangular piece of paper — the ballot — printed with the Latin words “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as Supreme Pontiff”). Below that phrase, each cardinal writes the name of his chosen candidate in careful handwriting. The physical act of writing the name serves as both a personal and spiritual commitment, made under oath, and ideally in reflection of divine guidance.
Each cardinal folds his ballot twice and walks to the altar beneath Michelangelo’s Last Judgment. There, in a solemn ritual, he places his ballot into a bronze urn. This moment — each elector walking alone to the urn — symbolizes individual conscience before God and the weight of the responsibility they bear.
The Voting Instruments
A number of lesser-known but crucial objects guide and safeguard the integrity of the vote.
1. The Bronze Urn:
Three urns are actually used: one for collecting the votes, one for holding the ballots of cardinals too infirm to walk to the altar, and a third to receive the discarded ballots after counting. The central urn is where most votes are placed. Its design is elegant but restrained, embodying the dignity of the occasion.
2. Wooden Balls for Counting:
Each cardinal’s vote must be counted carefully. A unique tradition — not widely known — involves wooden balls marked with numbers. As ballots are cast and counted, a corresponding wooden ball is removed from a container. This ensures the number of ballots exactly matches the number of electors. If a discrepancy is found — too many or too few ballots — the entire vote is invalidated, and the ballots are immediately burned without being read. A new round of voting follows.
3. The Needle and Thread:
As each ballot is read aloud by scrutineers, it is pierced through the word “Eligo” with a long needle and strung on a piece of thread. This archaic but powerful gesture ensures the ballots stay together for archival purposes and prevents tampering or duplication. According to the U.D.G., this act also symbolizes the unity and continuity of the conclave — that even as each man votes individually, the decision must be made collectively.
A Ritual of Smoke and Symbols
Twice daily — after morning and afternoon voting sessions — the used ballots are burned in a special stove. Chemical compounds are added to create either black smoke, signaling no decision, or white smoke, the centuries-old signal that a new pope has been chosen. The chimney above the Sistine Chapel becomes the only public communication from the conclave, watched with anticipation by Catholics around the world.
Wednesday evening’s puff of black smoke confirmed that no pope had been selected in the initial vote. Up to four more voting rounds are expected on Thursday. Conclaves in recent decades have resolved within a few days, but this one, with a record number of cardinal-electors and considerable ideological divides, could take longer.
Sacred Oaths and Spiritual Discernment
Every cardinal entering the conclave swears multiple oaths — of secrecy, integrity, and faithful service to the Church. These vows are not symbolic; violating them can lead to excommunication. Even the attendants and staff who support the conclave logistics are bound by similar oaths and removed from the premises before voting begins.
Though the process is grounded in rules and rituals, it is ultimately spiritual. The cardinals are expected to vote not according to personal ambition or politics, but as instruments of God’s will. This is why the voting is accompanied by prayer, meditation, and daily Mass.
The Weight of History
The physical objects — the ballots, urns, thread, and tables — may appear simple, even austere. Yet they are steeped in symbolism. They represent continuity with past conclaves, dating back centuries, and the Church’s belief that even in an age of technology, sacred traditions have enduring meaning.
For a watching world, the smoke is the only visible sign. But inside the Sistine Chapel, the quiet rustling of ballots, the solemn procession to the urn, and the piercing of paper with thread are moments of enormous consequence — a papal future shaped by human hands guided, as the cardinals believe, by the Holy Spirit.