Conclave deadlock: Cardinals to resume voting after first ballot yields no successor

The Catholic Church has begun the process of choosing a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Pope Francis reportedly died from a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiac arrest. The pontiff had a history of other health issues, including respiratory failure, pneumonia, hypertension, and diabetes. His death was grieved by many people around the world, and the period of mourning was for nine days, as is customary.

As per the recent report, a papal conclave officially began on May 7. The private gathering is being held at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, where 133 cardinals from around the world are voting. The cardinals are required to be under the age of eighty in order to vote in the papal conclave, as per the rules.

On the first day, the Cardinals reportedly held the first round of voting. However, no candidate got the required two-thirds majority. After the voting, black smoke was seen rising from the chapel’s chimney, which signaled that a new pope had not yet been elected.

The smoke is a sign for the public since no one outside the conclave knows what’s happening.

What will be the next steps?

The conclave started with a mass (a Christian religious ceremony) at St. Peter’s Basilica on May 7. There are cardinals from many regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania, and Central America.

After the first round of voting failed, cardinals will now vote in two morning ballots and two afternoon ballots each day until a pope is elected. The voting will continue until the candidate gets the majority of the vote, which has to be more than eighty-nine. Once the cardinals have the pope, white smoke will rise from the chimney, indicating that the new pope has been elected.

Once the pope is elected, they have to enter the Room of Tears, called Stanza della Lacrime in Italian, a small space near the Sistine Chapel. In this, the new pope will have to face the accountability of leading the Church.

He has to change from red cardinal robes to white papal robes and prepare to meet the world as the new pope. As per reports, the Room of Tears got its name after popes, like Pope Leo XIII, cried there after being chosen.

According to Time, if no pope is chosen after thirteen days of voting, only the top two candidates will remain for the final rounds.

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