Black smoke emerged from the chimney over the Sistine Chapel at 21:00 on Wednesday evening, signalling that a first ballot has been held at the conclave and has concluded without the election of a Pope.
Around 45,000 people had gathered in St Peter's Square to await the announcement, which had been expected some time after 7pm. In the end, they had to wait until 9.
Among those in the square was Deacon Nicholas Nkoronko from Tanzania. Speaking to Vatican News, he said: "Our role here is to pray and to join with other Christians, other Catholics, to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the whole process."
"Wherever the new Pope comes from", Deacon Nkoronko stressed, "whether it's Africa, Asia, America, what we need is we need a holy Pope. We need a Pope who will guide the Church and will be the pastor of the Church."
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. They have been urged to “invoke the help of the Holy Spirit” in electing a pope “whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history.”
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, 67, is widely viewed as a frontrunner. Should he be elected, he would become the first Asian pope.
Other prominent contenders include Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as well as Cardinals Matteo Zuppi, Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Peter Erdo, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Peter Turkson, Jean-Marc Aveline, and Anders Arborelius.
