This photograph shows black smoke rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signalling that cardinals failed to elect a new pope during their conclave in the Vatican on May 8, 2025. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images

VATICAN, (Eye Radio) – Black smoke is billowing for a second day in the Sistine Chapel chimney in the Vatican as cardinals resume voting on Thursday to elect the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church, with the first two votes failing to find a winner.

Cardinals are meeting in a secret, sacred conclave for a second day as they seek a new pontiff to follow Pope Francis.

The conclave began at 10am, local time, on Wednesday with a public after which cardinals retreated to their rooms before heading to the Apostolic Palace for the first vote. The first two votes failed to find a successor.

As the cardinals break for lunch, 15,000 people in the square continue to look up at the chimney in anticipation, Vatican News reported, adding that voting is expected to resume at around 16:00 or 4:00pm local time.

Pope Francis, whose successor is being elected, died on 21st April 2025, aged 88 years. According to the Holy See, the cause of his death is a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.

More than 50 of the 133 cardinal electors are European, with Italy dominating. Ten are from the US, 23 from Asia, 21 from Central and South America, and 18 from Africa.

A successful candidate to replace Pope Francis will require a two-thirds majority of the voting cardinals. A white smoke will signify that a new pope has been elected, as will the ringing of the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The cardinals are isolated from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent them from all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.

Francis appointed 108 of the 133 cardinals, choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, South Sudan, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before.

His latest appointment was the September 2023 elevation of 21 bishops from around the world to the rank of cardinal including South Sudan’s Stephen Ameyu Martin, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba.