The Sistine Chapel’s chimney delivered a signal that was both ancient and unambiguous on Wednesday night: black smoke. No pope had been chosen. And as dusk settled over St. Peter’s Square, tens of thousands looked skyward — some with disappointment, others with patience steeped in faith.
The voting cardinals, 133 in total, entered the second day of the 2025 papal conclave on Thursday, cloistered in the ornate walls of the Sistine Chapel. They are expected to continue their secret deliberations—up to four votes a day—until one of them receives the required two-thirds majority to be declared the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
The late Pope Francis, who redefined the modern papacy with his pastoral style and sharp social conscience, left behind a Church facing both urgent and existential questions. His successor will have to confront internal divides, declining Western congregations, the enduring trauma of clerical abuse scandals, and the increasingly complex geopolitics of global faith.
The conclave began with solemn tradition: a procession from the Pauline Chapel led by Swiss Guards, under the full gaze of the world watching via large screens in St. Peter’s Square. But once inside, the doors closed — a centuries-old rite of secrecy and spiritual discernment began.
“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected maybe he whom the Church and humanity need,” said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, in a mass before the first vote. Battista Re, now past the voting age of 80, has witnessed conclaves before, but none as large or diverse as this one.
The 2025 conclave, the most international in Church history, includes cardinals from about 70 countries, many of whom have never met in person until this week. Nearly 80 percent were appointed by Pope Francis himself, a reflection of the broad global lens he brought to the papacy.
Still, the road to consensus remains uncertain.
Among the names whispered in Vatican corridors and religious media alike: Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Italy, known for his bicycle rides and work as Francis’s special peace envoy; Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, a conservative voice in the college; and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Sri Lanka, whose international experience resonates in a church now firmly global in makeup.
Outside, in the square, pilgrims and tourists stood quietly as the black smoke rose.
When the vote finally concludes, the new pontiff will emerge from behind the curtain of the Basilica’s central balcony with the words Habemus Papam. Until then, the world watches the chimney, waiting for white smoke—and a name.
