Black smoke signals that cardinals still haven’t chosen a pope

VATICAN CITY – Black smoke poured out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday just before noon, signaling that the cardinals assembled to pick a new pope had still not reached a decision on a second day of voting.

The first inconclusive ballot Wednesday evening lasted well over three hours from the time the papal master of ceremonies gave the order, “extra omnes,” Latin for “everybody out.” When it comes to the conclave to elect the next pope, the waiting is the hardest part. And the world will have to be patient for at least a few more hours, as the cardinals in the conclave break for lunch and convene again for the next secret ballot.

On Thursday morning, crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square as the 133 cardinals voted in total secrecy. The black smoke prompted gasps and then groans from the crowds in St. Peter’s Square as they understood that no candidate had captured two-thirds of the cardinal electorate during voting in the morning.

Pope Francis’ death in April set in motion the process of choosing his successor, the first conclave in more than a decade. The papal election is one of the world’s oldest dramas, but this one is unlike any other. It is the largest ever assembled, and many cardinals appointed by Francis are meeting one another for the first time.

The new faces bring unfamiliar politics, priorities and concerns that some experts say could make the selection process more fragmented than usual. Francis also left the church deeply divided, with progressive factions pushing for more inclusion and change, and conservatives seeking to roll things back, often under the guise of preserving unity.

Except for Wednesday, when there was only one vote, the cardinals will participate in four rounds of voting every day until a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority. The ballots are burned up to twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and smoke emitted from a purpose-built chimney above the Sistine Chapel signals the result — black smoke for no decision, white if there is a pope.

There is no indication of how long the conclave will go, though the last two conclaves reached decisions within two days. One in the 13th century dragged on for almost three years.