Vatican City, May 8 – Black smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday night, indicating that the first ballot of the conclave to elect the 267th Pope has concluded without a decision.
The smoke appeared at 9:00 p.m. local time, two hours later than many observers had anticipated. Approximately 45,000 people had gathered in St Peter’s Square, braving the wait in hopes of seeing white smoke, the traditional signal that a new Pope has been chosen.
Among those present was Deacon Nicholas Nkoronko from Tanzania, who spoke to Vatican News about the spiritual atmosphere in the square. “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,” he said.
Nkoronko emphasized the universal hopes of the faithful: “Wherever the new Pope comes from—whether it’s Africa, Asia, America—what we need is a holy Pope. We need a Pope who will guide the Church and will be the pastor of the Church.” The cardinals are expected to resume voting on Thursday morning. A new Pope must receive a two-thirds majority vote among the electors.
