Thick black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney signaled that cardinals failed to elect a new pope in their first vote following Pope Francis’s death on April 21.

The 133 cardinals, many appointed by Francis, are now locked in daily voting until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority.

With no clear frontrunner and a wide range of ideological views, the conclave may take time.

The Church faces major challenges, including declining clergy numbers, internal divisions, and global crises, Al-Jazeera has reported.

Crowds in St. Peter’s Square watched the event unfold, awaiting white smoke that will announce the next pope.

Written by B.C. Begley