Crowds of Catholics and tourists filled St. Peter's Square on Thursday as they fixed their gaze on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, waiting for the moment when white smoke would rise and signal the election of a new pope to succeed the late Pope Francis.

The wait continued from Wednesday evening, when black smoke signaled that the cardinals had yet to reach the required two-thirds majority.

Despite the disappointment, the mood among those gathered remained generally hopeful, as many saw the continued voting as a sign that the process was being taken seriously.

James Kleineck (37), from Texas expressed faith in the outcome to AFP by saying, “I don't mind that it's black smoke, it shows the Holy Spirit is at work, there will be other votes soon enough, we will get our pope.”

Others like Barbara Mason, a 50-year-old Canadian who traveled for the occasion, echoed a sense of appreciation for the time being taken, telling AFP that the process showed reflection and care, and she voiced support for a candidate like Matteo Maria Zuppi, believing he could be a worthy continuation of Pope Francis's progressive direction.

On Thursday morning, a thinner but steady crowd arrived early to secure spots for the day’s events. Among them was Paul O’Flynn, a 72-year-old Irishman visiting from New York, who described the atmosphere as deeply moving and unlike anything he had expected to witness in his lifetime.

Inside the Conclave: Cardinals seek divine guidance

The 133 cardinals participating in the conclave spent the night in the Santa Marta guesthouse, and on Thursday they began their day with private masses to seek divine guidance before heading into the second day of voting, which was expected to follow a structured schedule of four rounds: two in the morning and two more in the afternoon if needed.

Only after the second vote of each session does smoke rise from the chimney, with black indicating no result and white marking the election of a new pope, and as ballots are burned with chemical additives to ensure the smoke’s clarity, the signal becomes the only communication the outside world receives from the secretive proceedings.

Cardinals are bound by an oath of secrecy and remain locked in the Sistine Chapel until a new pope is chosen, and any violation of this oath is met with the penalty of excommunication, reinforcing the solemn nature of the process that has been shaped by centuries of tradition and internal rules.

While the last two conclaves in 2005 and 2013 concluded within two days, longer ones have occurred in history, including some in the 20th century that stretched to five days, and the longest on record lasted nearly three years between 1268 and 1271.

Challenges ahead for the next pope

The 2025 Papal Conclave brings together cardinals from around 70 countries, making it the largest and most international gathering of its kind, and many of those present had not met before.

With no clear front-runner emerging, speculation continues around more than a dozen potential candidates, and opinions among the electors remain divided between those wishing to continue the legacy of Pope Francis and others who favor a shift back toward more traditional interpretations of doctrine and leadership.

All voting cardinals are under the age of 80, and approximately 80 percent were appointed by Pope Francis, a pope known for his impulsive yet charismatic advocacy for the downtrodden.

As the voting continues, the world outside waits for the white smoke that will signal a new era of Catholic Church leadership, and while the identity of the 267th pope remains unknown, the weight of the moment is clear for both those inside the chapel and the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world looking toward what comes next.