A seagull, perched for hours beside the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, captured the world’s attention. In the absence of official updates on the first smoke, it became the unexpected protagonist and symbolic figure of the waiting, filling silences, screens, and social feeds.
“The first communication to the world about the voting results will not come before 7:00 p.m.,” Matteo Bruni, Director of the Vatican Press Office, had announced early in the day. But the first black smoke appeared only at 9 p.m., more than three hours after the “Extra Omnes” (“Everyone out”) and well beyond the expected time.
The day opened with the “Pro Eligendo Pontifice” Mass, presided over by Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re, the last public moment before the proceedings began. In the afternoon, the cardinal electors gathered in the Sistine Chapel: after the entrance rites and the litany of saints, the solemn oath took place. One by one, the cardinals pledged fidelity to the conclave rules, absolute secrecy, and obedience to the eventual new Pope. Immediately after, at 5:47 p.m., the “Extra Omnes” was pronounced, the ritual order by which the Master of Pontifical Ceremonies asks all non-electors to leave the Chapel. From that moment, the voting began.
Uncertainty hovered for several hours over St. Peter’s Square, crowded with more than 45,000 people. In 2013, the first evening smoke appeared at 7:40 p.m. This time, various speculations emerged: from a simple delay in the voting process to a possible postponement. The only sign expected was from the most-watched chimney in the world. Occasionally, the crowd broke into applause, sometimes to encourage the smoke’s arrival, other times to greet the seagulls landing on the roof. Only after hours of waiting, black smoked lifted off from the chimney. Quiet cheers, then silence again. A collective expression of reverence, more than disappointment.
Among those waiting was Julián, a Colombian-born pilgrim who now lives in New York. “I got here at six-thirty in the morning. I followed the Mass, then lay down on the cobblestones and rested. I didn’t want to miss the smoke. I had to see it.” Wrapped in a flag and holding a rosary, Julián said he had no particular favorite among the papabili. “I hope it’s an American. It’s time,” he said.
“But more than anything, I hope he continues what Pope Francis started. He gave a voice to those who didn’t have one. I just hope we don’t go backwards.”
Starting May 8, the conclave will move into full swing. Four votes per day are scheduled, split into two sessions: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The smoke will be released at the end of each session, around 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. However, should a Pope be elected on the first vote of either session, white smoke may appear earlier, around 10:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m.
In the 2013 conclave that led to the election of Pope Francis, five votes were needed: one on the first day and four on the second. White smoke rose at 7:06 p.m. on March 13, and the “Habemus Papam” was proclaimed at 8:12 p.m.
