The Catholic Herald: Ballot Burning Times: When to Watch for White Smoke

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From Saint Peter’s Basilica, Holy Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals. 7 May 2025. Vatican News - English, Screenshot. Youtube.

The Catholic Herald, May 7, 2025

Today 133 cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the papal conclave, the secretive voting process that requires a two-thirds majority to elect the new leader of the global Roman Catholic Church.

The election follows the death of Pope Francis on 21 April at the age of 88 year old.

As the conclave begins, the following ballot burning times are given as rough estimates.

Wednesday 7 May

Rome — 19:00 – 20:00
London — 18:00 – 19:00

Thursday 8 May and Friday 9 May

Smoke will only appear after the first and third ballots if a pope has been elected.

First ballot
Rome — 10:30
London — 09:30

Second ballot
Rome — 12:00
London — 11:00

Third ballot
Rome — 17:30
London — 16:30

Fourth ballot
Rome — 19:30
London — 18:30

Saturday 10 May 2025

If no candidate has been elected, then this day will be set aside for prayer and reflection. The last time a conclave lasted more than three days was 1958, when John XXIII was elected on the fourth day of the conclave, though there had been no ballot on the first day. The other outlier during the 20th century was the election of Pius XI in 1922, which took five days, though there was again no ballot on the first day.

Sunday 11 May – Tuesday 13 May

Following a day of prayer and reflection, the 133 cardinals will vote in seven more ballots following the same rough schedule given above, after which, if there is still no successful candidate, the conclave will break for another day of prayer and reflection.

Wednesday 14 May onwards

The cardinals will vote in up to 18 more ballots, again following the same rough schedule given above, until a candidate receives two-thirds of all votes cast. If there is still no winner, a run-off between the two top candidates will be held until one of them receives the required majority.

The proceedings will be conducted in Latin, the official language of the Holy See.

After every two rounds, the cardinals’ ballot papers, on which they write the name of the person they want elected pope, are burned in one of two special stoves that are also being installed inside the Sistine Chapel for the conclave.

Black smoke billowing from the chimney indicates that no decision has been reached – a two-thirds majority is required. Once white smoke emerges that will be the signal that the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has been chosen.

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