After a long wait, black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel this evening, signaling that the cardinals were unable to elect a new pope.
St. Peter’s Square — where 45,000 people had gathered tonight, according to the Vatican — emptied within minutes after the three-hour wait ended in disappointment. Many people made their way straight to nearby restaurants for a late dinner following the long vigil, BBC reports.
Due to the secrecy of the process, experts have noted that we may never know what caused the delay — and we certainly won’t find out until after the conclave concludes.
But the absence of a new pope means that the cardinals will return to the sealed Sistine Chapel tomorrow for further rounds of voting.
