Key Facts

How Did They Announce When A Pope Was Been Chosen?

After voting, the ballots were burned, and chemicals were added to produce either black smoke—indicating no pope has been elected—or white smoke—meaning a pope was been chosen—from the Sistine Chapel. Vatican watchers gathered to watch what color the smoke was after every vote.

Who Were The Leading Contenders To Be Elected Pope?

There was no clear frontrunner to win the papacy, Vatican experts said, though some of the cardinals who were considered to be prime candidates included Italy’s Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state who is considered more moderate than Francis, and the Philippines’ Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, who draws comparisons to Francis for his liberal-leaning stances and his championing of the poor. Parolin and Tagle were the two leading contenders on various betting sites, including Polymarket and Kalshi, as bettors waged millions on the papal election. Other cardinals who were considered possible candidates included several from Italy— Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Matteo Zuppi—as well as Congo’s Fridolin Ambongo, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, Ghana’s Peter Turkson and France’s Jean-Marc Aveline.

Why Was This Conclave Important?

Papal experts said the conclave could determine whether the Catholic Church continues down the path laid by Francis to become more progressive, or whether a more conservative successor could be chosen and potentially roll back some of Francis’ reforms. Francis was notable, and divisive, for his stances striking a more welcoming tone toward LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in church leadership roles, which won some global praise but angered conservative critics. Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden said some cardinals wanted to elect a successor “who can follow in the footsteps of Francis. Some others said, ‘No, no. Not at all,’” The New York Times reported, while Italian conservative Cardinal Camillo Ruini said there was a “need to return the church to Catholics.” Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, said in a homily Wednesday the new pope would face a “difficult and complex turning point in history,” stating he prayed for a pope who leads “for the good of the church and of humanity.”

How Does The Conclave Work?

While secluded from the outside world, cardinals under the age of 80 cast four votes each day until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority. The process began Wednesday afternoon with mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, after which cardinals proceeded to the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave. On days no successor was chosen, cardinals spent the night in Vatican guesthouses to resume voting the next day. Each cardinal was assigned a desk affixed with papers that say, “Eligo in summum pontificem,” or, “I choose as supreme pontiff.”

Surprising Fact

Some cardinals watched the movie “Conclave,” the papal drama that won an Oscar just two months ago, while prepping for the real thing, Politico reported, citing a cleric involved in the conclave who said some cardinals found the film “remarkably accurate.” Viewership of “Conclave” spiked 283% within a day of Francis’s death, according to Luminate.

Why Did Day One Of The Conclave Take So Long?

Wednesday’s vote took longer than most experts had predicted, as the first release of smoke took an hour longer than the first black smoke in 2013 during the conclave that elected Pope Francis. Mathew Schmalz, editor of the Journal of Global Catholicism and College of the Holy Cross religious studies professor, told BBC News the lengthy wait for the first release of smoke may have been because of the large number of cardinals from around the world meeting one another for the first time, speculating the conclave could take one day longer than usual. Though it’s unclear why Wednesday’s vote took so long, Schmalz told the BBC he is “getting kind of nervous” about whether the conclave may have run into issues that will need to be smoothed out in the coming days. The conclave of 133 electors is the largest and most globally diverse in history, greater than the 115 electors that participated in the 2005 and 2013 conclaves, which may also cause a longer time for the vote.

Key Background

Francis died at age 88 on Easter Monday, April 21, following a bout of health issues, which led to his longest hospital stay while pope. Francis was hospitalized earlier this year for bilateral pneumonia and bronchitis, and Vatican doctors said he died of cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure.

Further Reading

These Cardinals Are The Top Candidates To Succeed Pope Francis (Forbes)

The Church Is More Global Than Ever. What Does That Mean for the Next Pope? (New York Times)