The 133 Catholic cardinal electors tasked with choosing a new pope to succeed Pope Francis were sequestered for a second day on Thursday as the 2025 conclave continued at the Vatican. On Wednesday evening, the prelates from six continents conducted a first round of voting in the Sistine Chapel, but sent black smoke up through the chimney in the evening to signal that a new pontiff had not yet been chosen.
The conclave began Wednesday, 16 days after Pope Francis, who led the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics for 12 years, died at the age of 88.
A new pope will be selected when a candidate gets a two-thirds-plus-one majority vote by the cardinal electors. White smoke will be sent up the chimney of the Sistine Chapel when that happens, to indicate a new pope has been chosen.
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It is impossible to predict how long the conclave will last, but many observers expect the electors to choose a new pontiff within a few days.
“I think the church at the moment realizes that they need to bring people together, that they don’t want the church to look split,” papal historian Rebecca Rist told CBS News partner network BBC News. “So I suspect we’ll have the decision by Saturday.”
Spectators started lining up early on Thursday to enter St. Peter’s Square, after tens of thousands gathered to watch Wednesday evening’s smoke signal.
Alkis Konstantinidis / REUTERS 
“I don’t mind that it’s black smoke, it shows the Holy Spirit is at work,” James Kleineck, who was visiting the Vatican from his home in Texas, said Wednesday. “There will be other votes soon enough. We will get our pope.”