Pope Francis has died, Vatican says, 21 Apr 2025

[detective.moon]

Some very strange information on the BBC live feed this morning:

"There will only be smoke rising from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel if it is white - which means a successor has been elected. If the electing cardinals have not chosen a pope yet, there won't be any smoke."

This contradicts all previous information we have had about the voting process, ie that there would be black smoke after every unsuccessful ballot. Maybe this is another intern issue.

New Pope says Church must illuminate 'dark nights of this world' in first Mass

The Pope tells cardinals in the Sistine Chapel the Church must do more work where there is "lack of faith".

www.bbc.co.uk

i think what they mean is that if there is smoke after the first round this morning it would mean they have chosen a pope.
if there is no decision after the first round, they will immediately go on to do a second round instead. after the second round we should then definitely see smoke, whether a pope has been chosen or not.

eta: if they are exactly on schedule, smoke after the first round would have appeared about 30 minutes ago. unless they are running late, i think they have to do a second round and we should see smoke (either black or white) about an hour from now.

 

[Dotta]

​

"All eyes on the chimney. ​

An unexpected guest has appeared.​

A seagull
that sat for a long time on the roof of the Sistine Chapel near the chimney
became the 'queen' of social media on Wednesday.
It has been called 'the most watched animal in the world'.

'We have a winner',
'The world is waiting in suspense for the smoke from the chimney guarded by a seagull' -
these are some of the comments about the presence of the bird on the screens of televisions, mobile phones and laptops of millions of people around the world."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1920187330100425124

https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/oczy-wszystkich-na-komin-pojawil-sie-niespodziewany-gosc-7154321097153472a

 

[MelmothTheLost]

i think what they mean is that if there is smoke after the first round this morning it would mean they have chosen a pope.
if there is no decision after the first round, they will immediately go on to do a second round instead. after the second round we should then definitely see smoke, whether a pope has been chosen or not.

I see. I was under the impression that a second ballot was scheduled for later this morning if the first was not successful, but not until around 11am BST (12 noon Rome time).

 

[detective.moon]

I see. I was under the impression that a second ballot was scheduled for later this morning if the first was not successful, but not until around 11am BST (12 noon Rome time).

the schedule for today

On Thursday morning, at 7:45am, the Cardinals will depart from Santa Marta to the Apostolic Palace, and at 8:15 AM, they will celebrate Mass and Lauds in the Pauline Chapel. Afterward, at 9:15 AM, there will be mid-morning prayer in the Sistine Chapel.

He clarified that possible timing for smoke could be roughly after 10:30am if there were to be white smoke, and after 12:00pm.

Then at 12:30pm, they return to Santa Marta for lunch.

That afternoon, at 3:45pm, they will return to the Apostolic Palace and will resume voting in the Sistine Chapel at 4:30pm.

For afternoon votes, Bruni noted that possible smoke could appear after 5:30pm, if there were white smoke, otherwise around 7:00pm.

12th General Congregation focuses on necessary qualities for a future Pope - Vatican News

The day before the beginning of the Conclave, the twelfth and final General Congregation of Cardinals focuses on various qualities important for a ...

www.vaticannews.va

eta: the times are CEST, the local time zone. and we saw yesterday that it could take a little longer too.

this is the article where i got my schedule from! i have to say i find it all a bit confusing too haha so i might be mixing things up

 

[MelmothTheLost]

this is the article where i got my schedule from! i have to say i find it all a bit confusing too haha so i might be mixing things up

Actually I found this from earlier this morning on the BBC feed:

"Cardinals will have breakfast at around 06:30 (05:30 BST) ahead of Mass shortly afterwards.

Then votes are scheduled for throughout the day - two in the morning, two in the late afternoon.

The first ballot will be at 10:30 (09:30 BST), followed by another at 12:00 (11:00 BST).

The cardinals will have lunch, followed by two more votes at approximately 17:30 (16:30 BST) and 19:00 (18:00 BST).

There isn't always smoke for each of the four votes, though. On the first votes in the morning and afternoon, there's only white smoke if a new pope is chosen. Otherwise, there is just two lots of smoke - at the end of the morning, and end of the evening session."

That seems to make things rather clearer. I'm kinda surprised though, since presumably they need to destroy the voting papers after each vote, successful or otherwise.

 

[Dotta]

From my country's MSM

"Since May 8,
cardinals have been able to hold up to four votes a day –
two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

The ballots are burned after each session,
meaning a maximum of two smokes per day:
around 12:00 and 19:30.

However,
if a new Pope is elected earlier,
the white fumata can occur as early as 10:30 or 17:30."

More in the link

Biały dym nad Kaplicą Sykstyńską. O której się go spodziewać? Sprawdź godziny

W Watykanie rozpoczął się jeden z najważniejszych procesów w Kościele katolickim – konklawe, które ma wyłonić następcę papieża Franciszka. Za nami już trzy głosowania, ale biały dym oznaczający wybór nowego...

wiadomosci.wp.pl

To add
Rome (and Warsaw) time.

 

[Yellowbelly]

maybe a silly question, but would this information be considered a leak? i thought no information about what happens inside the conclave was supposed to come out at all (though this doesn’t seem harmful or anything)

There are some officials of the conclave who aren't cardinals, who leave the chapel when voting commences. They would have been in the room whilst the sermon went on and on and on, and clearly one of them has spoken to somebody outside whilst the voting was happening. It still looks like a leak, though, as I thought everything concerning the conclave was supposed to be secret once the doors were shut, not just the actual election part.

During the pre-scrutiny, the masters of ceremonies prepare ballot papers bearing the words Eligo in Summum Pontificem ('I elect as Supreme Pontiff') and provide at least two to each cardinal elector. As the cardinals begin to write their votes, the secretary of the College of Cardinals, the master of papal liturgical celebrations and the masters of ceremonies exit. The junior cardinal deacon then closes the door.

Conclave - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MelmothTheLost]

From my country's MSM

The ballots are burned after each session,
meaning a maximum of two smokes per day:
around 12:00 and 19:30.

Ah - so the two votes in the morning are a single session, and the same for the afternoon votes. That's a lot clearer

 

[Dotta]

Ah - so the two votes in the morning are a single session, and the same for the afternoon votes. That's a lot clearer

Mind the times given in my link.
They are Italy's (and Poland's) times.
UK is 1 hour earlier.

 

[detective.moon]

ah, black smoke!
(i’m watching the livestream)

 

[Dotta]

ah, black smoke!
(i’m watching the livestream)

They are on time!
It is 11.54 in Poland now, and in Italy

 

[Yellowbelly]

ah, black smoke!
(i’m watching the livestream)

No real surprise. The last time a pope was elected after only three ballots was way back in 1939, and back then there was an absolutely clear front runner that everyone expected to be elected.

The last two conclaves took four and five ballots, so if a consensus is emerging we may have a result this afternoon.

 

[Dotta]

​

"All eyes on the chimney. ​

An unexpected guest has appeared.​

View attachment 584519

A seagull
that sat for a long time on the roof of the Sistine Chapel near the chimney
became the 'queen' of social media on Wednesday.
It has been called 'the most watched animal in the world'.

'We have a winner',
'The world is waiting in suspense for the smoke from the chimney guarded by a seagull' -
these are some of the comments about the presence of the bird on the screens of televisions, mobile phones and laptops of millions of people around the world."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1920187330100425124

https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/oczy-wszystkich-na-komin-pojawil-sie-niespodziewany-gosc-7154321097153472a

To add

Some may say that a seagull guarding the chimney is the sign of late Pope Francis watching

After all,
His Patron Saint Francis of Assisi
is Patron of animals.
He loved nature so passionately
that he greeted flowers and spoke to birds.

How's that?

JMO

Picture from the link

Święty Franciszek z Asyżu. Opowieść o miłości do zwierząt i pokoju z wilkiem

Święto św. Franciszka z Asyżu w tym roku było niezwykłe, ponieważ obchodzono je w 800. rocznicę powstania dwóch znaczących dzieł: zatwierdzenia Reguły św. Franciszka i utworzenia szopki w Greccio. To święto przypomina nam nie tylko o duchowej spuściźnie tego lubianego włoskiego świętego, ale...

bialykruk.pl

 

[Dotta]

" 'Eating Like at the Train Station'.​

Culinary Penance During the Conclave.​

While the eyes of the world are on who will be the new Pope,
the cardinals have another problem:
the food,
which is more like a train station bar than a royal feast.

And that is no coincidence.

The Casa Santa Marta, where the cardinals live during the conclave,
'does not spoil us with delicacies,
to put it mildly.
It is food that you could get at the train station'
said Cardinal Mauro Piacenza,
a veteran of Vatican elections.

'The dishes served there are simple cutlets, bland salads and pastas
that are more of an insult to Italian cuisine
than a celebration of it',
adds the priest from Genoa, a city famous for its pesto.

Bad food during conclaves is not a novelty,
but rather... a tradition.

In the 13th century,
frustrated residents of Viterbo,
during the longest papal election in history,
ripped the roof off the building where the cardinals were meeting
and limited their menu to bread and water.

The result?
A Pope was elected."

"Jedzenie jak na dworcu". Kulinarna pokuta podczas konklawe

Choć oczy całego świata zwrócone są na to, kto zostanie nowym papieżem, kardynałowie mają też inny problem: jedzenie, które przypomina raczej bar dworcowy niż królewską ucztę. I nie jest to przypadek.

www.rmf24.pl

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Crowds are beginning to fill Vatican Square as the afternoon session of the second day of the conclave begins.

If on schedule, the voting cardinals should be back in the Sistine Chapel following their lunch break.

A third smoke signal is expected at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).

Papal conclave live updates: Cardinals return for afternoon session, next round of voting

Catholic cardinals are gathering at the Vatican to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.

abcnews.go.com

 

[PrairieWind]

White smoke!!

 

[sds71]

6:07 p.m. Rome time. White smoke. We have a pope! Likely 4th ballot.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1920511269284544616

 

[Dotta]

Habemus Papam!!!

https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/bialy-dym-w-watykanie-wybrano-papieza-7154567195712416a

 

[Yellowbelly]

Probably one of the front runners, then. Saying that, Luciani was elected on the 4th ballot in 1978, and nobody had him as one of the favourites beforehand.

 

[Dotta]

"When will the new Pope ​

appear on the balcony?​

From the moment the white smoke appears until
the new Pope appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica,
it usually takes about 40 to 60 minutes.

What happens during this time?

- Confirmation of acceptance of the election by the new Pope.

- Choice of papal name.

- Changing into Papal Vestments –
A special room behind the Sistine Chapel,
known as the 'Room of Tears'
(stanza delle lacrime),
contains vestments in three sizes.

- Prayer and short conversation with the Cardinals.

- Preparation of the Annunciation Ceremony –
The Cardinal Protodeacon
(the most senior of the Cardinal Deacons)
steps onto the balcony and announces:

'Habemus Papam'.

- The new Pope's exit to the balcony
and his first speech and

Urbi et Orbi blessing."

(Blessing for Rome - city - and the whole world)

Wybrali papieża 2025 - Habemus Papam! Kto jest nowym papieżem? Ile lat ma nowy papież Leon XIV?

Biały dym uniósł się nad Watykanem, a na placu św. Piotra rozległy się okrzyki radości. 8 maja 2025 roku świat poznał nowego papieża – został nim kard. Robert Francis Prevost, który przyjął imię Leon XIV.

forsal.pl