Overview

• Black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney following the morning voting session on May 8, confirming no pope has been elected after three rounds of voting.
• The 133 cardinal-electors, representing around 70 countries, are sequestered under strict security measures and will vote up to four times daily until a two-thirds majority is achieved.
• Prominent papal candidates, or papabile, include Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, though no clear front-runner has emerged.
• This conclave is the largest and most geographically diverse in history, reflecting Pope Francis's efforts to expand the Church's global representation.
• The conclave follows centuries-old traditions, including the burning of ballots to signal voting outcomes, with black smoke indicating no decision and white smoke heralding the election of a new pope.