Today in Vatican City, history is being made as the successor to Pope Francis is chosen by the College of Cardinals.
133 participants will be voting. However, as they can cast multiple votes, and a winner needs a two-thirds majority, this process can go on for a long time. By modern-day standards, the average is two to three days.
So, how will we know that the new Pope has been chosen? Simple. There will be smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney after a ballot is passed. If the smoke is white, it means a decision has been reached. If not, the smoke will be black.
If you want to watch along (and have the patience to observe a chimney for a long period of time), then we’ve got all the information you need – including when the first ballot takes place today, and how to watch the Sistine Chapel chimney in real time.
When should you start watching the chimney to signal a new Pope has been chosen?
The conclave is taking place as we speak, but according to the BBC, the chimney won’t be smoking all day.
This will happen after the first ballot is passed, which is 7pm local time today, Wednesday 7 May 2025. That’s 6pm BST in the UK, and 1pm ET/10am PT in the US.
You’re welcome to watch the chimney before then, but rest assured you won’t see much.
If you see that dreaded black smoke, voting will continue tomorrow, with two more rounds, and the process will continue until a Pope has been chosen.
Vatican Sistine Chapel chimney livestreams
The Vatican News YouTube channel currently has a livestream of the conclave process, though it’s not an active ‘chimney watch’ like some news outlets are providing.
There are plenty more online, but we’ve provided a UK and a US one below, from The Independent and MSNBC respectively.
Read the full article here
