Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that the 133 voting cardinals did not elect a new pope on the first day of the conclave.
There is no clear frontrunner to take over leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, and cardinals will continue voting Thursday in a series of highly secretive ballots until they choose a successor to Pope Francis.
The 133 cardinals have returned to the Santa Marta residence inside the Vatican where they will remain sequestered as they have taken the oath of secrecy and their phones seized from them to not allow them leak any information. The 1.4 billion Catholics all over the world are praying and will have to be patient for the next two or three days. We pray God elect His own. Amen