Black smoke has again risen from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning cardinals have been unable to elect a new pope in the latest round of voting.
The black smoke at about 10.50am UK time on Thursday morning was the result of the second round of voting on the next pope.
The first round took place on Wednesday afternoon, when the 133 eligible cardinals gathered in the famous Sistine Chapel to elect a successor to the late Pope Francis.
A two-thirds majority is needed, or 89 votes, for a new leader of the Catholic Church to be elected.
White or black smoke, signalling whether a pope has been elected or not, is expected again by 6pm UK time, but it could be as soon as 4.30pm, after the first round of votes in the afternoon session.
Cardinals praying in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday. Pic: Vatican Media/Reuters
According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, an estimated 11,000 where in St Peter’s square on Thursday morning as they awaited results from the conclave.
The cardinals, who have come from all over the world for the ancient process to elect the pope, will be breaking up for lunch now before returning to the Sistine Chapel for another vote on Thursday afternoon.
Two votes are held every morning and every afternoon until a majority is reached.
But smoke only emerges from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney after the second ballot for each session.
If, however, a new pope were to be elected in the first round of a session, white smoke would emerge right after that.
The dean of the College of Cardinals, who at 91 is too old to take part in the conclave, has said he hopes “to see the white smoke this evening when I return to Rome”.
Giovanni Battista Re made the comments moments after the black smoke on Thursday morning and while visiting Pompeii.
It’s an indication from one of the most senior people in the Catholic Church that a new pope could be elected by the end of the day.
He added: “First of all, the new pope will have to try to strengthen faith in God in this world of our’s characterised by technological progress, but which, on the spiritual side, we have noticed a bit of ‘forgetting God’.
“So there is the need for a reawakening.”
It comes after he was overheard yesterday telling one of the frontrunners for the papacy, Pietro Parolin: “Best wishes. Double best wishes”. Watch that moment here:
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