White smoke appeared to billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel this afternoon – despite cardinals failing to reach a verdict on the next pontiff.
Footage from the Vatican live feed of the conclave showed white smoke, which is meant to signal that a new pope has been elected.
Shortly before, however, black smoke was seen, confirming that no cardinal has won a two-thirds majority of their colleagues so far.
Hailing from 70 different countries, the 133-strong group of cardinals have gathered in the Vatican for the centuries-old ritual to elect the 267th pontiff following the death of Pope Francis last month.
Last night’s first round of voting prompted groans around the square after black smoke was seen rising from the chimney, indicating no result had been reached.
Black smoke was also seen at 10.52am UK time this morning, showing the second round had, equally, not yielded a result.
But white smoke was seen shortly before the noon bells rung, prompting confusion among the crowds.
There was a similar incident during the 1958 conclave, when white smoke initially emerged but then turned black.
It would be a further two days before cardinals settled Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who served as Pope John XXIII.
Black smoke was also seen this morning, showing the second round of voting had not yielded a result
Last night’s first round of voting prompted groans around the square after black smoke was seen rising from the chimney, indicating no result had been reached
With little to do while cardinals are voting, the attention of spectators yesterday evening turned to a seagull who perched itself on the chimney stack above the Sistine Chapel just before sunset.
Silhouetted against the brilliant blue sky, and visible on several screens around sat Peter’s Square, the bird raised cheers and applause as it stayed there for several minutes surveying the scene before flying off.
It echoed similar scenes at the previous Conclave in 2013, when a seagull also stole the show.
The current Conclave has also attracted attention because of the appearance in TV news commentary of Italian-American priest Robert Sirico, who fans discovered is the younger brother of The Sopranos star Tony Sirico.
Father Robert was on screen to give his view on the Conclave, before viewers quickly spotted his connection to the man who played the brilliantly brash and immaculately coiffed Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri.
Faithful gather in St. Peter’s Square to await smoke from the chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel
Previous papal elections have brought much more drama than birds being birds.
As well as the attention the seagull attracted in 2013, that year’s proceedings also threatened to be disrupted by an impostor who was only rumbled when guards noticed his robes were too short and his fascia (sash) was pink rather than red.
Child abuse protester Ralph Napierski, who was calling himself ‘Basilius’, was swiftly detained and expelled.
In 1655, a group of young cardinals bored by weeks of deadlock decided to lower themselves to the level of childish pranks.
One dressed up as the Holy Ghost and surprised older colleagues with their costume in the dead of night.
In 1623, a swarm of bees disrupted voting by heading towards Cardinal Maffeo Barberini. Fittingly, his family’s coat of arms included bees.
Some of the voting cardinals saw this strange coincidence as a sign, and so Barberini was lelected Pope Urban VIII.
Eighteen years earlier, in 1605, the conclave descended into a fist fight which saw cardinals rip the lacy bits off their rochets.
And whilst most modern conclaves have lasted just a matter of days, that was not the case for the process when it kicked off in 1268.
Instead, cardinals choosing a successor to Clement IV spent nearly three years deciding. It marked the longest conclave in history.
