A dramatic plume of black smoke billowed over Vatican City on Wednesday evening, May 7 confirming that the Catholic Church has not yet chosen a new pope to succeed Pope Francis, who died last month at age 88. The signal, emitted from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 9:05pm local time, marked an inconclusive first day of voting by 133 cardinals locked inside the sacred walls.

Despite anticipation from the 45,000-strong crowd in St Peter’s Square, no white smoke — the traditional sign of a successful papal election — appeared. The crowd, nonetheless, applauded, recognizing the beginning of what could become a historic transition for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.

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“We don’t want to see the flashy richness of the church, this is no longer in fashion,” said Cinzia Caporali, visiting from Tuscany.

A pivotal vote: continuity or change in the Catholic Church

The election of the next pope is being seen by many observers as a referendum on Pope Francis’s legacy, particularly his efforts to reshape the Catholic Church into a more open, inclusive institution. During his 12-year pontificate, Francis championed reforms on poverty, migration, and social justice while opening limited dialogue on controversial topics such as LGBTQ+ inclusion.

“We are here to invoke the help of the holy spirit… so that the pope elected may be he whom the church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re during the pre-conclave mass.

Behind closed doors, cardinals are reportedly divided between those who support Francis’s progressive vision and others who seek a return to more traditional orthodoxy.

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“Choosing a new pope is an act of maximum responsibility,” Re added.

This papal conclave could be shaped as much by internal power dynamics as by the future vision for Catholicism, especially with many cardinals meeting for the first time at Francis’s funeral.

Women demand voice as Conclave begins in secrecy

Outside the Vatican, tension is rising among Catholic women’s advocacy groups who feel increasingly marginalized. As 133 male cardinals began their secret deliberations, pink smoke rose from Gianicolo Hill — a peaceful protest by UK-based Catholic Women’s Ordination (CWO) group calling for gender inclusion.

“They refuse to listen to women… we communicated with them, also via smoke signals,” said Miriam Duignan of CWO.

The absence of women from the voting process — and their ongoing exclusion from the priesthood — remains a glaring issue. Despite Pope Francis’s gestures toward female empowerment, he maintained a firm stance that women could not be ordained.

The conclave continues Thursday, May 8 with four daily voting rounds — two in the morning and two in the afternoon — until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority.

“Fatto, fatto, fatto!” recalled Caporali, who witnessed Benedict XVI’s swift 2005 election. But this time, she said, “I hope it will be a continuation of Francis.”

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The result of this papal election will shape the Church’s approach to global challenges — from war and poverty to the role of women and the future of faith itself.