Six continent Catholic cardinal voters met on Wednesday within the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican for the 2025 conclave to select a new Pope. After the first voting round, black smoke was seen leaving the Sistine Chapel when the night fell in Rome, indicating that they have not yet agreed an option for the next pontiff.
The conclave began 16 days after the death of Pope Francis, 88, who led the 1,400 million Catholics in the world for 12 years.
Without anyone receiving the required vote of two thirds of more in the first round, the cardinals will resume the process on Thursday morning. The chimney will be sent a white smoke once a new Pope is chosen.
It is impossible to say How long will the conclaveBut many observers expect the 133 cardinal voters to choose a new pontiff in a few days.
Alberto Pizzoli/AFP through Getty Images 
Earlier on Wednesday, the cardinals celebrated a final mass in the Basilica of San Pedro, led by the dean of the Cardinals College, Giovanni Battisa Re.
“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore its light and strength so that the elected Pope is that the Church and humanity need in this difficult and complex turning point in history,” Re to the cardinals told the cardinals. “This is also a strong call to Mintain the unity of the Church … a unit that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and professional communion in diversity.”
Re said that cardinals should pray for “a Pope who knows how to better awaken the consciences of all and moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterized by great technological progress but that tends to forget God. Today’s world today expects much of the Church with respect to the safeguarding of those fundamental human and spiritual values ​​without which human coexistence will not be better or will bring good to future generations.”
After a meeting at the Apostolic Palace, the most diverse group of voters in history, from at least 70 different countries, walked in the procession from the Paulina Chapel of the Palace to the adjacent Sistine Chapel, where the conclave will take place.
Kevin Coombs/Reuters 
He Process to select a new Pope He is wrapped in secret, and the cardinal voters presented one by one to make an oath inside the chapel just before the conclave began, promising to preserve that secret.
“In a particular way, we promise and swore with the greatest fidelity and with all people, clerical or secular, secret with respect to everything that somehow relates to the choice of the Roman pontiff and with respect to what happens in the place of the choice, directly or indirectly related to the results of the vote”, the cardinals that were in cans. “We promise and swore not to break this secret in any way, either the duration or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless the Pontiff himself grants explicit authorization.”
Cardinal voters are forced to give up their digital devices duration of the conclave.
The personnel and clergy boxes of the less senior Vatican who will play some role in the conclave already had a similar vote of secret.
After the last of the cardinal voters toke the oath of the secret, a declaration of “extra omnes”, or “all outside”, of Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the master of ceremonies of the Vatican, was the signal for all the others to leave the Astine chapel. The doors of the chapel were blocked from the inside.
The cardinals were expected to celebrate a single voting round before a night sentence on Wednesday, and since additional votes will be needed, they will return to the Sistine Chapel to continue the process on Thursday morning.
