Again! Papal election stalls as black smoke rises from Sistine Chapel

Black smoke once again poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning, signaling that the cardinals in conclave have not yet reached a consensus on selecting the next pope.

This marks the second occurrence of black smoke after the conclave’s first voting session on Wednesday evening, further extending the wait for the announcement of a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday.

The process of electing the 267th pope in the nearly 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church has not yet resulted in the desired white smoke, which would indicate a new pontiff has been chosen.