The first round of voting in the papal conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis has concluded without a new pope being elected.
Black smoke emanated from the chimney starting at around 9 p.m. local time in Rome, signaling an end to the first day of the conclave.
The cardinals gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica earlier in the day for the “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass, which officially opened the conclave proceedings. They then processed into the Sistine Chapel, where the voting took place.
“Our role here is to pray and to join with other Christians, other Catholics, to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the whole process,” Tanzanian Deacon Nicholas Nkoronko informed the Holy See’s official news portal.
The conclave is assembled to elect a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis at age 88 last month.
The cardinals will return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday for further voting sessions, with white smoke expected to emerge once a new pope is elected.
The successful candidate will need to secure at least 89 votes, a two-thirds majority, to become the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
