Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, passed away on April 21 at the age of 88. 133 cardinals from 70 countries and regions gathered at the Vatican for the conclave to elect a new pope.
At around 5:54 PM Hong Kong time today (March 8), black smoke rose once again from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating that no candidate had been elected.
The conclave will hold two more rounds of voting on Thursday afternoon, with results expected around 10:00 PM Hong Kong time on Thursday and 1:00 AM on Friday.
The papal election began on Wednesday (March 7), but after the first round of voting, black smoke emerged, signaling no decision had been reached.
A total of 133 cardinals are eligible to vote, and a candidate must secure at least two-thirds of the votes (89 votes) to win.
On March 7, only one round of voting took place. From then on, up to four rounds will be held each day—two in the morning and two in the afternoon. If a new pope is elected, white smoke will rise from the Sistine Chapel's chimney; otherwise, black smoke will appear.
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