This photograph shows black smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that cardinals failed to elect a new pope in the first ballot of their conclave in the Vatican on May 7, 2025. (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)
Black smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church.
The smoke billowed out at 9 p.m. Wednesday, some four hours after 133 cardinals solemnly entered the Sistine Chapel, took their oaths of secrecy and formally opened the centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-member church.
With no one securing the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the night to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered.
They return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning.
The Associated Press is providing a livestream here:
What is a conclave?
A conclave is the centuries-old election of a pope that derives its name from the Italian “con clave” (with a key) to underscore that cardinals are sequestered until they find a winner.
Cardinals have no contact with the outside world after the master of liturgical ceremonies utters the words “Extra Omnes” the Latin phrase for “all out,” to ask all those present except the cardinal electors to leave the Sistine Chapel to begin the voting process.
In between votes, the cardinals will be staying at the Domus Santa Marta hotel in Vatican City and possibly another nearby Vatican residence, since there are more cardinal electors than Santa Marta hotel rooms.
Cardinals attend a final Mass St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinals, with white mitre hats, attend a final Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinals arrive for a final Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa attends a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A nun shelters from the rain as she follows a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez walks before the conclave to elect a new pope, in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Faithful capture images with their smartphones of cardinals during a final Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi looks up during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
German cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller walks in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri attends a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinals, including Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, second from right, attend a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo attends a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, center, greets Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinal Camillo Ruini is seen in the front row with his head hidden during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A nun looks at Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu walk past during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A view of the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Activists from the Women’s Ordination Conference release pink smoke to call for full equality for women in the Catholic Church on the first day of the conclave to elect the 267th pope, in Rome, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
A woman shelters against the rain outside St. Peter’s Basilica, background, in Rome, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, on the day cardinals sequester themselves at the Vatican for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th Roman pontiff, a successor to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Nuns enter an ice cream coffee bar near the Vatican, in Rome, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, on the day cardinals sequester themselves at the Vatican for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th Roman pontiff, a successor to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi walks through the St. Anna gate, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
1 of 20
Cardinals attend a final Mass St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The cardinals took a single vote the afternoon of May 7, seeking a two-thirds majority. Because they didn’t find a winner on the first ballot, they retired for the evening and will return to the Sistine Chapel tomorrow morning.
They can take up to two votes each morning, and two each afternoon until they have a winner.
How does the conclave announce that they’ve selected a new pope?
After the ballots are pierced, they are burned in a cylindrical stove at the end of the voting session. Black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney means no decision; white smoke signals the cardinals have chosen a pope and that he has accepted.
Chemical cartridges are added to ensure there is no confusion over the color. To produce black smoke, a cartridge containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene — the component of coal tar — and sulfur is burned with the ballots. For white smoke, a cartridge of potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin is burned with the ballots.
Bells also are rung to signal the election of a pope, for further clarity.
The new pope is introduced from the loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square with the words, “Habemus Papam!” (“We have a pope!”) and his chosen papal name. The new pope then emerges and gives his first blessing.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
