By Abiola Olawale
Catholic faithful will have to wait a bit longer as the papal conclave will continue after black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday evening.
This shows that the cardinals failed to successfully elect the successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.
The New Diplomat reports that a total of 133 cardinals gathered inside the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to cast their vote on the leader of the Catholic Church.
Voting began on Wednesday afternoon after the cardinals took an oath of secrecy and sealed the Sistine Chapel doors.
Meanwhile, after the first round of voting, black smoke emitted from the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals were voting.
This means voting will continue until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority, 89 votes, to become the next pontiff.
Voting occurs twice daily, with ballots burned after each session. Black smoke signals no decision, while white smoke announces the election of a new pope.
The conclave’s duration varies, but recent history suggests a swift process. Since the 20th century, the average conclave has lasted three days, with the longest in 1922 taking five.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, was elected in 2013 after just two days of voting, one of the shortest conclaves in modern history.
The world now waits for white smoke, which will end the papal conclave voting and announce the election of the 267th pope.
