Conclave live: Vatican reveals two reasons behind first vote delay as cardinals return to conclave in the morning

Sky News

07-05-2025

'Collective groan' when black smoke emerged
There was a "collective groan" when black smoke emerged, our Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins, who is at the Vatican, says.
She says it had been a "tense few hours" before the black smoke finally emerged from the Sistine Chapel.
"As each hour ticked by, the tension rose and if someone clapped or thought they had seen smoke, everyone then peered to try and catch a glimpse of it - but then there was no result hour after hour," she says.
"And then people started wondering if we were going to get a pope. And then nerves frayed even further."
She says when the black smoke rose there was a "collective groan" and people started leaving St Peter's Square "very quickly".
Robbins also says people from around the world had arrived to the Vatican "wanting to be a part of history" and see who would follow Pope Francis.
How did the first round of voting unfold?
No pope was elected today.
And so cardinals will return to voting tomorrow.
Here, we take a look at how today unfolded at the Sistine Chapel... Just after 3.30pm UK time , the 133 cardinals began filing into the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave takes place;
After taking their positions in the chapel they placed their birettas on the table as they took a collective oath of secrecy;
They then took their individual oath of secrecy;
At around 4.43pm, cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, who was the last to enter, took his oath;
And at around 4.47pm, the doors to the Sistine Chapel were closed - and the conclave to elect a new pope was under way;
Finally, at 8pm UK time, black smoke emerged from chimney - meaning conclave will continue tomorrow.
Vatican confirms reasons for voting delay
Crowds were left waiting for hours today as cardinals began their first round of voting.
And Vatican sources have now confirmed to Sky's team on the ground the two causes for the voting delay.
Here are the reasons: The sermon by Raniero Cantalamessa, an Italian cardinal, was longer than expected (between 45 minutes and one hour);
Several cardinals needed help with the translation.
It should be noted on the second reason that many of the cardinals don't speak any Italian or Latin and have also been in the role for a short period of time.
Watch: No new pope elected in first ballot
Earlier, black smoke emerged from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel.
This means the 133 cardinals have not come to a decision in the first vote of the conclave, and the process continues.
Here is the moment that black smoke emerged...
In pictures: Thousands gathered ahead of black smoke moment
Ahead of black smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel an hour ago, meaning no new pope has been named today, thousands were gathered in the Vatican, keen to get a first glimpse.
Here's a look at the size of those crowds...
Will be interesting to see if Vatican explains first vote smoke delay, Sky News commentator says
Sky News commentator Alastair Bruce says it will be "interesting" to see if the Vatican explains the delayed first smoke from the Sistine Chapel.
We were expecting to hear news of the first round of voting at 6pm, but instead only saw sight of black smoke at around 8pm.
Bruce tells Sky's Mark Austin that it has been "a long day" for the cardinals, and that after being bussed away from the chapel, they will retire for dinner and prayer, "but I expect they'll want to go to bed" ahead of a 7.30am return to voting.
When asked about the delay, and whether we're likely to get an explanation, he said: "My feeling is that even the sala stampa - the press office - doesn't have links to what's going on in the conclave.
"They're probably keeping at a distance as well, to reassure us that they are also at a distance."
Earlier, Bruce said: "I don't know, all sorts of things could happen, but we don't know."
"Romans going back through history have had to wait for this."
Austin agreed, saying that by its nature, conclave is "shrouded in mystery".
Cardinals will want 'havoc' of Francis era to end, church commentator argues
We've been hearing from a Catholic commentator on Sky News who thinks the cardinals will vote for a safer and perhaps a more conservative pope after the Francis era.
Charles Collins, the managing director of online Catholic news publication Crux now, told Sky's Mark Austin that whichever cardinal is elected in this conclave, they will want to change course from Pope Francis.
"I think that there will be changes," he said. "Pope Francis, when he became pope, said he wanted to 'cause a ruckus', to see what happens.
"I think most of the cardinals want that ruckus… that havoc to end.
"Whoever gets elected, I think you're going to see a lot more normality… you never knew what you were going to see [with Francis]."
He goes on to say Pope Francis's politics were influenced by his origins in Argentina, a "little bit different than what we would think of" in the West.
"He liked to keep people on their toes, and I think all of the cardinals… want to rest," Collins says.
In pictures: People react to black smoke emerging from chimney
As black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on the conclave's first ballot, the hundreds gathered in St Peter's Square reacted.
The smoke came around four hours after the 133 cardinals solemnly entered the chapel, took their oaths of secrecy and formally opened the ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
With no one securing the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the night to the Vatican residences where they are staying.
Hundreds of people leaving St Peter's Square
Streams of people are making their way home for the evening after the cardinals failed to elect a new pope on their first vote, our specialist producer Eleonora Chiarella, who is on the ground, reports.
The 133 cardinals will now begin a second day of voting tomorrow.
Black smoke emerges from chimney - meaning conclave will continue tomorrow
Black smoke has emerged from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel.
This means the 133 cardinals have not come to a decision in the first vote of the conclave, and the process continues.
There will now be a maximum of four votes a day from tomorrow until a new pope is elected.