Black smoke signals no pope elected in first conclave vote

Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signalling an inconclusive first vote by cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel in a conclave to elect a new pope to guide the Roman Catholic Church, Reuters reports.

Thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square waiting for smoke to pour from a narrow flue on the roof of the chapel, according to Reuters.

The crowds had to be patient as it took longer than expected for the smoke to appear, more than three hours after the start of the conclave. This was an hour more than it took for smoke to be seen after the first vote in the 2013 conclave that picked the late Pope Francis.

When a pope is chosen, white smoke will emerge, but this had not been expected on Wednesday - a pontiff has not been picked on the first day of a conclave in modern times.

However, some cardinals said this week that they hoped to wrap things up by Thursday or Friday.

In recent days, cardinals have offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pontiff who will lead the 1.4-billion-member Church, according to Reuters.

While some have called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, others have said they want to turn the clock back and embrace old traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured pontificate.

In a sermon ahead of the conclave, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who at 91 is too old to take part in the vote, told his fellow prelates they must set aside "every personal consideration" in choosing the new pontiff and keep in mind "only ... the good of the Church and of humanity".

He also suggested the next pope had to respect diversity within the Church. "Unity does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity," he said, according to Reuters.