The conclave (the secret meeting of the College of Cardinals) began its first round of voting on May 7 (local time), but failed to elect a new pope.
Around 9 p.m. that day, black smoke was seen rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, where the conclave was being held.
The Vatican signals the outcome of each vote by releasing white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney if a new pope is elected, or black smoke if not. This means that in the first round of voting, none of the 133 cardinals under the age of 80 who participated in the conclave received the support of at least 89 electors, which is more than two-thirds of the electorate required for election.
Starting on May 8, the cardinal electors will vote up to four times a day?twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.
Foreign media outlets believe that there is a high likelihood a pope will be chosen in the voting on May 8 or May 9. In the last ten conclaves, the average time required to elect a pope was about three days, and it has never taken more than five days. Pope Francis was elected on the second day of the conclave in 2013.
Although there is no clear front-runner yet, bookmakers are placing the most bets on Cardinal Pietro Parolin (Italy), the Vatican Secretary of State and second in command, followed by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines), who is considered a reformist. However, if neither candidate gains a decisive advantage, votes may shift to other contenders. In that case, Reuters predicts that alliances could form based on geographical and linguistic backgrounds, as well as shared doctrinal views.
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