Latest news with #SistineSeagull
RTÉ News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Seagulls provide levity during conclave at Sistine Chapel
Seagulls have found themselves in starring roles since the live streaming of the Sistine Chapel chimney began at the 2005 conclave. In 2013, during the conclave to elect Pope Francis, a seagull which perched on the chimney, ended up trending on social media. Memes were created and the 'Sistine Seagull', "live tweeted" the conclave from the bird's perspective. As hours rolled by last night - before smoke emerged to signal the result of the first vote - seagulls appeared on camera providing some levity. One gull perched on the roof for a lengthy period, was commended on social media for its patience in waiting for smoke to emerge. As people watched and waited, speculation and conjecture about what was going on inside the Sistine Chapel was rife. Due to the secretive nature of the conclave, it may be difficult to determine what happened on day one. Some questioned if Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, whose meditation inviting the cardinals into a space of prayer and discernment beforehand, ran over the 10 minute allotted time. As time ticked by, others tentatively questioned whether one of the cardinals could have possibly reached a two-thirds majority on the first vote. A situation unheard of for centuries. Or could the Camerlengo Kevin Farrell have decided to go ahead with a second ballot on the night? "It would be a very Irish approach to it all - to get it done," one person remarked. Black smoke eventually billowed from the Sistine Chapel at 8pm Irish time, offering an answer. Cardinals could not reach a two-thirds majority. They would return to the Sistine Chapel for the next round of voting which begins this morning at 9.30am Irish time. If no candidate is elected, they will move to a third ballot before lunchtime and if no one is elected on that ballot, black smoke will again signal that result. The voting process will continue in that vein with smoke rising twice a day. If a cardinal reaches the majority, white smoke will be the first signal that a new pope has been elected. However, considering that there are 133 cardinal electors from around the world - the process is bound to take time. After all, it is the largest number of electors in history. It has led to questions as to whether cardinals will be able to complete the task within three days, as many of them predicted. Or will those watching the Sistine Chapel live stream end up being absorbed by the activity of Vatican seagulls for a bit longer.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Seagulls steal the show on papal conclave livestream. Viewers (and cats) love it.
It was a gull-orious day in Vatican City. Seagulls brought together people from across the globe who were eagerly awaiting the first sign of smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, May 7. But the birds cleared out at around 3 p.m. ET when black smoke began to plume from the chimney, indicating that more voting lies ahead for the ongoing papal conclave. Since livestream cameras went up early on Wednesday, a handful of seagulls, including a seagull chick, hopped around the church's chimney, entertaining onlookers in the Vatican and those watching from screens at home. A screenshot of USA TODAY's papal conclave livestream shows a seagull atop the Sistine Chapel roof, left, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Live updates: Cardinals in seclusion at papal conclave; world awaits first vote On Wednesday morning, the College of Cardinals − bishops and Vatican officials selected by the late Pope Francis − entered the Sistine Chapel for the first round of conclave voting. The cardinals are tasked with voting for one of their colleagues to take over the role of pontiff. During the conclave, the cardinals are sequestered from the "outside world," but their decisions are shared by black and white smoke that bellows from the Sistine Chapel chimney. Some seagulls are getting a front-row view of the action, much to the delight of the internet. Here's a look at the funny reactions on social media. Seagulls capture hearts … and cats Whether they intended to be influencers or not, the seagulls are making waves on social media. "This seagull is all of us rn (right now)," LifeSite Catholic posted to X on Wednesday. Not a first for seagulls This isn't the first time seagulls have made an appearance during a papal conclave. During the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, a seagull appeared in several livestream shots of the Sistine Chapel chimney, similar to Wednesday. And as a result, an entire X account was created for the bird called Sistine Seagull, which lead to the creation of countless memes. Watch USA TODAY's conclave livestream USA TODAY is managing a livestream of the Sistine Chapel, including the church's chimney, through 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 7. The livestream is available on the USA TODAY YouTube channel. Black smoke rises from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel, indicating no decision has been made to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, May 7, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi What is a papal conclave? A papal conclave is an election of a new pope conducted by the College of Cardinals. For the election, which began on Wednesday, May 7, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, take an oath of secrecy and seal the church's doors. Each cardinal votes by secret ballot. During this process, the cardinal says a prayer and then drops his ballot in a large chalice, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. If one candidate does not receive a two-thirds majority vote, another election is held. This process is repeated until one candidate has received the necessary votes. Black smoke plumes from the Sistine Chapel chimney when one candidate has not received the necessary majority votes, as was seen on Wednesday night. White smoke, on the other hand, is used to indicate when a candidate has received the necessary votes and will be announced as the new pope. Editor's note: This story has been updated to add new information. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seagull becomes star of papal conclave livestream: See funny reactions
Indianapolis Star
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
Seagulls steal the show on papal conclave livestream. Viewers (and cats) love it.
It was a gull-orious day in Vatican City. Seagulls brought together people from across the globe who were eagerly awaiting the first sign of smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, May 7. But the birds cleared out at around 3 p.m. ET when black smoke began to plume from the chimney, indicating that more voting lies ahead for the ongoing papal conclave. Since livestream cameras went up early on Wednesday, a handful of seagulls, including a seagull chick, hopped around the church's chimney, entertaining onlookers in the Vatican and those watching from screens at home. On Wednesday morning, the College of Cardinals − bishops and Vatican officials selected by the late Pope Francis − entered the Sistine Chapel for the first round of conclave voting. The cardinals are tasked with voting for one of their colleagues to take over the role of pontiff. During the conclave, the cardinals are sequestered from the "outside world," but their decisions are shared by black and white smoke that bellows from the Sistine Chapel chimney. Some seagulls are getting a front-row view of the action, much to the delight of the internet. Here's a look at the funny reactions on social media. Seagulls capture hearts … and cats Whether they intended to be influencers or not, the seagulls are making waves on social media. "This seagull is all of us rn (right now)," LifeSite Catholic posted to X on Wednesday. Not a first for seagulls This isn't the first time seagulls have made an appearance during a papal conclave. During the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, a seagull appeared in several livestream shots of the Sistine Chapel chimney, similar to Wednesday. And as a result, an entire X account was created for the bird called Sistine Seagull, which lead to the creation of countless memes. Watch USA TODAY's conclave livestream USA TODAY is managing a livestream of the Sistine Chapel, including the church's chimney, through 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 7. The livestream is available on the USA TODAY YouTube channel. What is a papal conclave? A papal conclave is an election of a new pope conducted by the College of Cardinals. For the election, which began on Wednesday, May 7, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, take an oath of secrecy and seal the church's doors. Each cardinal votes by secret ballot. During this process, the cardinal says a prayer and then drops his ballot in a large chalice, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. If one candidate does not receive a two-thirds majority vote, another election is held. This process is repeated until one candidate has received the necessary votes. Black smoke plumes from the Sistine Chapel chimney when one candidate has not received the necessary majority votes, as was seen on Wednesday night. White smoke, on the other hand, is used to indicate when a candidate has received the necessary votes and will be announced as the new pope.
