Black Smoke Shows No New Pope Yet: How to Follow the Real Papal Conclave

The papal conclave is underway in Rome, and black smoke issuing from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday indicates a vote has been taken, and no pope has yet been chosen. Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88, has been laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. Now, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church are voting for a successor in an assembly known as a conclave. Only cardinals younger than 80 years old are eligible to vote in a papal election. While 135 cardinals come in under this age requirement, two withdrew from the voting for health reasons, so 133 will vote. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images The word "conclave" is familiar to many non-Catholics now, thanks to the Hollywood feature film Conclave, which was released in 2024 and is available to watch on streaming services. The Vatican News, the official communications outlet of the Vatican, posted on X on Wednesday that all nonessential personnel have left the Sistine Chapel, leaving the Card ... Read full article.