Live updates: Cardinals return to the Sistine Chapel to vote on a new pope

Associated Press

08-05-2025

Cardinals return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday to resume voting for a new pope, after a first conclave ballot failed to find a winner and sent black smoke billowing through the chapel chimney.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-08 06:51:00
Title:
Conclave Glossary: Who are the revisers?
Content: These are the three cardinals, chosen by a random drawing from the electors, who are charged with reviewing the ballots during the conclave.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-08 06:45:00
Title:
Gathered masses waited hours in St. Peter's Square for smoke yesterday
Content: As the rituals began inside the Vatican, the scene was festive in St. Peter's Square as thousands of people flocked to the piazza to watch the proceedings on giant video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel's doors slammed shut and the voting began.
They waited for hours, watching screens that showed just a skinny chimney and occasional seagull. After the vote dragged on to dinnertime, some left in frustration, but those who stayed cheered when the smoke finally billowed out.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-08 06:37:09
Title:
A proverb and a warning
Content: Italians keep repeating an old proverb as the world awaits the selection of a new pope:
'He who enters the conclave as pope leaves as a cardinal.'
The saying warns against overconfidence among frontrunners in papal elections — those widely expected to win often do not.
In Rome, the phrase is heard frequently, from casual conversations to live TV broadcasts, where commentators use it to temper speculation.
It's a reminder of the secrecy and unpredictability of the conclave, where decisions are made behind locked doors, and outcomes can surprise even seasoned Vatican watchers.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-08 06:33:39
Title:
Day 2 of waiting for a new pope
Content: Many faithful are hoping that the second day of the conclave will give the church and the world a new pope.
Some people had started thinking that the long wait on the first day of the vote was a sign cardinals had reached a decision, which would be unprecedented in the modern era. Black smoke that finally appeared late Wednesday, meaning there is still no pontiff.
'They probably need more time,' said Costanza Ranaldi, a 63-year-old who travelled from Pescara in Italy's Abruzzo region to be present at the historic moment.
Chiara Pironi, a 26-year-old who lives in Rome, said she would keep returning to St. Peter's Square until a new pope is chosen.
'I don't want to miss that moment,' she said.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-08 06:23:00
Title:
What to know about day one of the conclave
Content:
Update:
Date: 2025-05-08 06:11:00
Title:
Ask AP reporters your conclave-related questions
Content:
Update:
Date: 2025-05-08 06:01:00
Title:
Cardinals return to Sistine Chapel after first ballot sends black smoke at start of conclave
Content: Cardinals return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday to resume voting for a new pope, after a first conclave ballot failed to find a winner and sent black smoke billowing through the chapel chimney.
Some of the 133 voting cardinals had said they expected a short conclave to replace Pope Francis. But it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope.
For much of the past century, it has taken between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.