Black smoke pours from Sistine Chapel chimney, meaning no pope was elected as conclave opens

Black smoke has poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday, meaning no new pope has been elected to lead the Catholic Church yet.

The smoke billowed out at 3 p.m. local time – 9 p.m. in the Vatican – hours after 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel to cast the first ballot of the conclave to choose a new leader.

The cardinals took their oaths of secrecy and formally opened the centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, to lead the 1.4 billion-member church.

Candidates for the position need to secure a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, to be elevated to the role.

The cardinals will retire for the night to the Vatican residences, where they are being sequestered.

They will return to the Sistine Chapel Thursday morning.

Professor at St. Michael’s College at UofT speaks on conclave process

CHCH News anchor Matt Ingram spoke with Reid Locklin, a professor that teaches religion at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto after the first day of the conclave.

They spoke about the history of the conclave process and if a pope was every chosen in the past with just one vote.

Locklin speculated how long he things the conclave will last, and how soon the next pope would be decided.

Ingram asked Locklin which cardinals were considered to be frontrunners in the choice of the new pope, and if Pope Francis’ progressivism will be a policy continued under the next pope.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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