Black smoke rises from Sistine Chapel as first conclave vote fails to elect new pope

A plume of black smoke emerged from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signaling that the first vote of the papal conclave did not yield a new pope. 

The 133 cardinal-electors, gathered in secrecy, failed to reach the required two-thirds majority to elect a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.

Thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, watching intently as the traditional smoke signal confirmed the inconclusive result. 

The black smoke, known as "fumata nera," indicates that no candidate has secured the necessary 89 votes to become the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

The conclave commenced earlier in the day with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by the cardinals' procession into the Sistine Chapel. There, they took oaths of secrecy and began the sacred process of electing a new pope. 

The voting will continue with up to four ballots each day—two in the morning and two in the afternoon—until a candidate achieves the required majority.

Among the leading candidates is Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. Other prominent figures include Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, reflecting the Church's diverse global representation.

That's not surprising as this conclave is notable for its unprecedented diversity, with cardinals from 70 countries participating, underscoring Pope Francis's efforts to broaden the Church's global reach. 

The cardinals are sequestered within the Vatican, with strict measures in place to ensure confidentiality, including the surrender of mobile devices and the installation of signal-jamming equipment.

As the world watches and waits, the faithful continue to gather in St. Peter's Square, hopeful that white smoke—signifying the election of a new pope—will soon rise from the Sistine Chapel.

Until then, the faithful wait and pray.