George W Bush, the former US president, said he and his wife Laura were “delighted” to congratulate Pope Leo XIV on becoming the next leader of the Catholic church.

“This is an historic and hopeful moment for Catholics in America and for the faithful around the world,” Bush, 78, who served two terms from 2001 to 2009, said.

“We join those praying for the success of Pope Leo XIV as he prepares to lead the Catholic church, serve the neediest, and share God’s love.”

Barack and Michelle Obama have congratulated their “fellow Chicagoan” on his election as the new Pope.

“This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith,” Obama, 63, said in a statement.

Obama worked as a community organiser on the south side of Chicago and later became an Illinois senator. He was elected as US president in 2008.

JD Vance, the US vice-president who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has congratulated the new American pope — who admonished him earlier this year.

In February, Robert Prevost shared an article from the National Catholic Reporter. It was a rebuttal of Vance’s claim that Christians prioritised their love for people close to them above their love for those from other countries.

Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, hailed Pope Leo XIV’s “powerful call to peace” during his first remarks as the newly-elected pontiff.

“In a time marked by conflict and unrest, his words from the Loggia of Benedictions are a powerful call to peace, brotherhood and responsibility,” she posted on X. “A spiritual legacy that follows the path traced by Pope Francis, and that Italy looks at with respect and hope.”

Politicians from Pope Leo XIV’s hometown of Chicago have celebrated his appointment. JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, wrote on X that it was a “historic moment”.

Brandon Johnson, a progressive Democrat who was elected mayor of Chicago in 2023, wrote: “Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon.”

Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, congratulated Pope Leo XIV and the “Catholic community worldwide”.

“I wish the first Pope from the United States success in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths,” Netanyahu said in post on X from the prime minister’s office.

By Hugh Tomlinson, Washington

The White House has been quick to congratulate the first American Pope, but a scroll through Robert Prevost’s account on X suggests he could oppose much of President Trump’s agenda.

Prevost rarely posted comments himself, but his retweets suggested support for open policies on immigration and fighting gun violence in the US. During Trump’s first administration, he retweeted criticism of the president’s hardline immigration policies, including the so-called “Muslim Ban” and the wall on America’s southern border.

Last month, he retweeted a Catholic commentator who attacked the Trump administration’s deportation to El Savador of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented migrant, stating: “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed?”

Franca Giansoldati, a Vatican expert at Italy’s Il Messaggero newspaper, said: “This is a very significant choice, because it’s a vote against America since he has been a leading opponent of Donald Trump.”

A picture from 1982 has emerged of Robert Prevost, a newly-ordained reverend, meeting Pope John Paul II.

The image was included in a 1986 book marking the 100th anniversary of St Mary of the Assumption Parish in the Far South Side, Dolton, Illinois.

George Weigel, senior Vatican analyst for NBC News, says that “Pope Leo XIII was the first pope to address a particular set of letters to the church in the United States. He was a great supporter of the church in the United States. And there would be a certain symmetry to a pope, Leo XIV, coming from the United States.”

Leo XIII lamented America’s separation of the church and the state and in 1899, wrote a letter known as Testem benevolentiae nostrae (Witness to our benevolence) to James Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, outlining his concerns that the American values of pluralism and liberalism could undermine the doctrine of the church.

Father Robert Barron, the bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester in Minnesota and a friend of Pope Leo XIV for the past 25 years, said he represented “all that is good about being an American”.

The new pope would promote freedom, justice and opportunity for all people and had said these were “the core values upon which this country was founded”, Barron told CNN.

“To leave some of the other things behind and really be an instrument, a promoter of all things good for the common good, for people on the margins, for the poor.”

Barron said that Pope Leo XIV was “incredibly bright, but he doesn’t condescend. He uses his gifts in a way that lifts people up. And he’s been doing it really throughout the course of his whole life”.

Approximately 20 per cent of US adults are Catholic

At 88, Pope Francis was the oldest pope in over a century when he died, a little older than his predecessor Benedict XVI, who resigned the role in 2013 at the age of 85.

Pope Leo XIV, at 69, is comparatively sprightly as he begins his papacy, though still two years older than the average age of the 10 most recent elected popes.

He becomes the youngest pope to be elected since Poland’s John Paul II, who assumed the role after the second papal conclave of 1978, when his unfortunate predecessor John Paul I died after just 33 days in the role.

President Putin said he was “confident that [a] constructive dialogue and cooperation” would continue between Russia and the Vatican after the election of a new pope, “on the basis of our shared Christian values”.

“I wish you, Your Holiness, success in carrying out the high mission entrusted to you, as well as good health and wellbeing,” Putin added.

Sir Keir Starmer has said the election of the first American pope is a “momentous moment”, just hours after he announced a trade deal with the US with President Trump.

“As Pope Francis’ papacy showed, the Holy See has a special role to play in bringing people and nations together to address the major issues of our time; especially on climate change, alleviating poverty and promoting peace and justice across the world,” the prime minister said in a statement.

“I look forward to meeting the Holy Father and continuing to work closely with the Catholic Church here in the UK and internationally to advance our shared values and the common good.”

Success at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, the pope’s baseball team, has been tough to come by

QUINN HARRIS/GETTY

One critical question about the first American pontiff has been solved — the new Pope is a Chicago Cubs fan.

Delighted fans are already claiming a divine mandate for their club this season.

“Now you know he cares for the less fortunate,” one supporter posted on X. Cubs fans are famously long suffering. The club’s World Series title in 2017 was its first in more than a century.

Americans on social media are scrambling to learn more about the new pontiff, although another key question remains unanswered: does he prefer Roman or Chicago pizza?

Micheal Martin, the Irish taoiseach, offered congratulations to Pope Leo XIV.

Martin said: “The scenes of great joy and celebrations in St Peter’s Square are a reflection of the hopes and goodwill felt by people of the Catholic faith from all around the world towards the new Pope.

“I hope that this groundswell of best wishes towards Pope Leo XIV will give him strength and support as he takes on the immense responsibility of his pontificate. I know that he has the best wishes of all Irish people, of all traditions.”

Martin added: “I also send my congratulations to the people of the United States, a country with which Ireland enjoys such a deep and strong relationship.

“To have a pope from their country is a source of great pride and an honour for their nation.

“I wish Pope Leo XIV every strength, good health, and the required spiritual guidance as he begins his mission of leading the Catholic Church at a time of challenge, building on the pastoral direction and achievements of Pope Francis.

“I look forward to working with Pope Leo XIV as an important and influential partner in addressing the many and interlinked challenges facing our world, as we work for peace, justice and sustainable development for all.”

Michelle O’Neill, the first minister of Northern Ireland, has described the appointment of Pope Leo XIV as a “day of profound significance”, urging the American Pope to stand with Gaza.

In a post on X, she wrote: “This is a day of profound significance for Catholics in Ireland and worldwide, as Pope Leo XIV assumes his role of spiritual leader.

“I hope he will use his influence to stand up for the marginalised and oppressed, champion peace, and lead with courage and compassion, just as his predecessor, Pope Francis, did.

“As the genocide in Gaza continues and a devastating famine looms, I encourage the Pope to stand unwaveringly for the rights of the Palestinian people to life, dignity, and freedom, and to urgently use his influence to help bring an end to this barbaric genocide.”

World leaders have begun to congratulate the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.

President Zelensky hoped the new pontiff would ensure the Catholic Church continued its “moral and spiritual support” of Ukraine during its war with Russia.

“Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians,” the Ukrainian leader posted on X.

The president of Colombia hailed the new pope’s ties to Latin America, hoping he would become a “great leader for migrant peoples around the world”.

“I hope he encourages our Latin American migrant brothers and sisters, humiliated today in the United States. It’s time for them to organise,” President Petro said on social media.

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said in a statement: “Through your role, you provide hope and guidance to millions of believers around the world in these challenging times.”

In February, Leo, known only as Robert Prevost, said JD Vance, the US vice-president, was “wrong” for having said Christianity teaches its followers to “prioritise” who you love.

On X, the now pope retweeted a headline that said: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others”.

Vance, in an interview with Fox News, defended the Trump adminstration’s stance on immigration by saying: “There is a Christian concept that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world. A lot of the far left has completely inverted that.”

During his first public address as pope, Leo spoke for a moment in Spanish, while addressing his “compatriots in Peru”.

In 1988, Leo was sent to the mission of Trujillo, a city in northwest Peru, as the director of the joint formation project for Augustinian aspirants in the Vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos and Apurimac.

There he served as a community prior for ten years and a teacher of the professed until 1998.

The newly elected pope addresses the crowd in St Peter’s Square

HANNAH MCKAY/REUTERS

Speaking now “to the Church of Rome”, Pope Leo XIV said its members must now focus on “dialogue and love”.

He said “charity” should be extended to all, “especially [those] who are suffering”.

“Today is the day in which we pray to the Madonna of Pompeii, our mother Mary wants to.. help us with her love,” Leo continues.

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” Trump said.”It is such an honour to realise that he is the first American pope. What excitement, and what a Great honour for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Pope Leo XIV says his predecessor, Francis, was “always courageous and he blessed Rome”.

He calls on the public to “build bridges” and “build dialogue”, adding: “We must all be a single people living in peace.”

“We can all walk together … to that land God has prepared us for.”

Pope Leo XIV is met with rapturous applause and loud chanting of “viva il papa” from the crowds below him.

“Peace be with all of you,” is the new pope’s first words as leader of the Catholic Church.

“Dear brothers and sisters,” he says. “This is the first greeting of Christ resurrected … I would like this greeting to reach all your hearts.”

“Peace be with you,” he repeats.

Robert Francis Prevost has appeared on the balcony to deliver his first public address as Pope Leo XIV to the crowd in St Peter’s Square.

Robert Francis Prevost will take the name Leo XIV. He will follow Pope Leo XIII, who was elected pontiff in 1878.

Leo XIII was known for his intellectualism and outlined the rights of workers to a fair wage, safe working conditions and the formation of trade unions in his 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum.

Being American would normally be an insuperable handicap for any aspiring pope. Traditionally, cardinals don’t want anyone from a superpower, and even less from the Trumpian one now. Robert Prevost, however, has been dubbed “the least American of the Americans” by Italian media and has an impressive international curriculum, including long spells as a missionary in Peru.

Born in Chicago into a family of Italian, French and Spanish origins, Prevost took a degree in mathematics in Philadelphia and joined the Order of St Augustine in 1977, rising to become prior general of the worldwide order. Much of his career was spent with the Augustinian mission in Peru, where he developed a reputation for versatile efficiency. His reputation was enhanced by his ability to steer a moderate path between left-wing bishops sympathetic to liberation theology and conservatives under the sway of Opus Dei.

A quiet man and a good listener, he consolidated his reputation as an administrator as head of the powerful dicastery for bishops in the Vatican over the last two years, a position that brought him into contact with the global Catholic hierarchy. A vote for Prevost could be seen as consolidating the Francis legacy but with an emphasis on quiet competence over charismatic exuberance, possibly a reassuring thought for many electors.

With a new pope having been chosen after four rounds of voting, here is a quick look at how long the most recent conclave took:

• In 2013, Pope Francis was elected within two days after five rounds of voting
• In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI was elected in two days after four rounds
• In 1978, John Paul II was chosen after three days, after eight rounds of voting
• Also in 1978, just a few months before, John Paul I was elected in two days, before he died unexpectedly from a heart attack

Read our in-depth analysis on the historical length of conclaves here.

Among the various chants, the delighted crowd in St Peter’s Square shouted: “Viva il papa!”.

The crowd in St Peter’s Square reacted with delight as white smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel chimney shortly after 6pm CET.

“I’m very pleased that we have a pope. We have to wait and see who it is,” said archbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani, a former Vatican archivist.

His French colleague, Jean-Yves Riocreux, a retired bishop from Paris, was also enthusiastic. Riocreux thought Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state under Francis, would likely be named as the next pope.

“It’s probably Parolin. It will be very interesting to see what name he chooses. Not Francis II but perhaps Paul VII. I’m very happy because it was a very quick conclave.”

Eric Sinclair, a former media sales executive from Canada who has just moved to Rome, was also in the square with his wife. “The fact it took only four rounds of voting is pretty exciting. We’re anxious to know who it is. It’s a very exciting time,” he said.

The conclave to elect a new pope has concluded, with white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel.

Now that the decision is made, who are the leading candidates to succeed Francis?

People are now rushing into St Peter’s Square to find a spot ahead of the moment, which could be in about an hour, when the new pope is named as he steps onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to greet the crowd.

Between now and then, the new pope will be led into the so-called Room of Tears next to the Sistine Chapel to try on white papal vestments for the occasion.

Once the new pope has accepted the position, he will be prepared for his first public appearance as leader of the Catholic Church.

The newly elected pontiff is expected to wear a white cassock and zucchetto, or skullcap. In 2013, Francis notably declined the red mozzetta, an elbow-length robe worn by his predecessors.

The new pope will be taken to a balcony to introduce himself publicly. “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus papam! (I announce to you a great joy: we have a pope!)” is declared to the square.

Now that white smoke has billowed from the famed chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the new pope will have to formally accept the position offered by the dean.

He will then give the College of Cardinals his papal name. The name-changing tradition is believed to have begun with Mercurius, who was elected in January 533 and became John II in honour of his predecessor.

While they are not obliged to abandon their christened name, all popes since Marcellus II, elected in 1555, have done so. Most have chosen the name of a saint or previous pontiff, such as John, Gregory or Benedict. Pope Francis said his choice was a tribute to St Francis of Assisi, the Italian friar who was known for his commitment to the poor and was canonised in 1228.

Once he has picked his papal name, the tricky choices facing the new pope will come thick and fast, starting with where he wants to live.

His predecessor, Francis, swapped the isolation of the Vatican’s papal apartment for a room at the bustling Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican’s residence for visiting prelates.

What else could be on the agenda for the new pope?

A new pope has been elected after white smoke was seen emerging at 6.08pm CET (5.08pm BST).

The smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St Peter’s Basilica tolled to announce that cardinals had voted for a new pope to succeed Pope Francis.

A packed crowd in St Peter’s Square cheered and clapped under the hot spring sun to celebrate the result, which was reached in the third ballot of the second day of voting — the fourth ballot in total — matching the speed with which Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005.

The Vatican is currently dealing with a chronic budget deficit, estimated at around €30 million in 2022

ALAMY

The Holy See has not given an estimate of how much the conclave will weigh on its finances, but the final bill is expected to run into millions of euros.

More than 200 cardinals and their assistants have converged on Rome following the death of the pope. They have to be housed, fed and laundered for weeks.

During the last conclave in 2013, security and other expenses came to €4.5 million. Giorgia Meloni’s government made an initial €5 million available after Francis’s death.

In 2005, organising the funeral of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI cost the Vatican some €7 million, according to a report published by the Holy See.

It provided no total cost for the conclave which elected Francis in 2013, but the Vatican later reported an annual budget deficit of €24 million. The Holy See continues to face a chronic budget deficit, estimated at around €30 million in 2022.

When a new pope is elected, he must agree to take on the job before putting on his vestments in the so-called Room of Tears. About an hour after the white smoke appears he will be announced on the balcony of St Peter’s basilica by the cardinal protodeacon, Dominique Mamberti.

Here is the text of the Latin introduction:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam. Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum [praenomen] Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem [nomen] qui sibi nomen imposuit [nomen pontificale].

This translates as:

I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope. The most eminent and most reverend lord, Lord [first name], Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname] who has taken the name [papal name].

In 2013, when “Bergoglio” was read out, many of those packed into St Peter’s Square reached for their phones to Google the name, since they had never heard of him.

Giuseppe Versaldi, an Italian cardinal who at 81 is too old to vote, has recalled the sense of urgency that animated his colleagues in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

There are no coffee breaks and no time wasting, he told La Repubblica. “I felt the concern of the people outside who were waiting. I didn’t want them to get the idea there were divisions. There are always people telling stories about tensions, dramatic confrontations. I at least didn’t encounter them on that occasion.”

A former head of the congregation for Catholic education, Versaldi said that Michelangelo’s painting of The Last Judgment served to remind colleagues that they were seeking the will of God and not personal interests. “When you deposit the ballot in the urn, your hand may not tremble but I felt my conscience quivering.”

Ravioli is banned at conclave, as well as chicken on the bone

CHARLIE BARD PHOTOGRAPHY/I MAKE YOU HUNGRY

The Italian daily Il Giornale has published a list of the foods traditionally banned at conclaves. We have already mentioned asparagus — known for its diuretic effect, which is undesired when elderly cardinals need to sit in the Sistine Chapel for hours, not to mention the odorous urine it induces.

Il Giornale adds that ravioli is banned due to fears in centuries past that cardinals could receive messages from the outside world stuffed into the pasta pockets.

Chicken on the bone has also been forbidden since the 17th century when a cardinal nearly choked on a bone, the newspaper added.

Recent conclaves have featured frontrunners who fell away when they could not muster a majority.

In 2013, the Italian cardinal Angelo Scola was such a favourite that the Italian Bishops’ Conference mistakenly announced his election. He led the first ballot, but could only get 30 votes and was overtaken in the second vote by Jorge Bergoglio — the outsider whose vote count then rose until he reached a winning 85 votes in the fourth ballot and became Pope Francis.

Admittedly Joseph Ratzinger started as favourite in 2005 and won in four ballots, becoming Pope Benedict, but in 1978, Italian favourite Giovanni Benelli, the longtime aide to Pope Paul VI, was unable to secure a majority.

After three days and eight votes, the cardinals instead turned to Poland’s Karol Wojtyla who became Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope since 1523.

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, the major Archbishop Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in India, left

STOYAN NENOV/REUTERS

Attentive observers will have noted that Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe is not the only elector to have breached the traditional cardinal’s colour code. In a note inviting the cardinals to attend, Monsignor Diego Ravelli, the Vatican’s master of ceremonies, informed them that the cardinals of the eastern churches should wear the liturgical vestments associated with their own rite.

That meant a variation on the red dress code for the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Baghdad, the major Archbishop Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in India and his Indian colleague from the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, as well as for the eparch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Melbourne.

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe has continued to wear his white Dominican habit

ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

In what is believed to be without precedent in modern times, there are likely to be two people dressed in white when the new pope emerges from a fitting room in the sacristy of the Sistine Chapel.

The second will be the English Dominican Timothy Radcliffe — unless he is elected — who was exceptionally promoted to cardinal by Pope Francis without ever having been a bishop. Radcliffe has continued to wear his white Dominican habit, with the addition of a red zucchetto — or cardinal’s skullcap — and a pectoral cross.

Vatican watchers have said that if white smoke fails to emerge from the Sistine chimney in the next couple of days it means the candidacy of Pietro Parolin has failed to gather traction and cardinals will be looking for an alternative.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the elderly dean of the college of cardinals, is rooting for early white smoke because he’s hoping for a Parolin victory, the author Marco Politi said. “If it doesn’t come soon they will be moving on to an alternative candidate,” he said.

The veteran Vatican observer Giuseppe Rusconi said that Parolin’s chances were good if an outcome was reached by the end of Friday. “If the smoke is still black by then the cardinals may be moving on to a plan B. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, could emerge at that point,” Rusconi said.

Pizzaballa turned 60 on the day of Pope Francis’ death. Observers say with his tall frame and dignified bearing he has “le physique du rôle”.

Italian police have released helicopter footage of black smoke emerging from the Sistine Chapel.

The video shows the moment the smoke was released as it escapes over the rooftops of the Vatican.

The helicopter then flies over the crowds to show the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square.

Cardinals retreating for lunch after this morning’s inconclusive votes will be given a light meal of white meat or fish with vegetables from the Vatican’s kitchen garden, served at the Casa Santa Marta residence they are staying in during the conclave.

The Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported that dinner will also be light, featuring vegetable soup, pasta with vegetables or butter or parmesan, followed by fish and fruit. A slice of jam tart will be allowed for dessert. A glass of wine is also permitted.

It is rumoured that asparagus has been banned due to the odorous urine it can produce.

Knowing they are in for a few days of bland, canteen-style food, cardinals have been known to enjoy a last blow-out in a Roman trattoria before entering the conclave.

• Read more: Where do cardinals eat when they need to pick a pope?

The White House published an AI-generated photo of President Trump dressed as the Pope

@REALDONALDTRUMP/REUTERS

As the world waited for a sign on how the cardinals voted in the first round of conclave, an unexpected figure stole the spotlight. Standing next to the Vatican’s famed chimney, being livestreamed around the world, was an unsuspecting seagull.

It seems it is not the first time a seagull has sought the limelight. A number of accounts on X named “Vatican Seagull” appear to have been made at the time of the last conclave, all showing pictures of a bird perching near, or on, the chimney.

“Ciao! We’re just hangin’ here waitin’ on some smoke!” is the description of the X handle @VaticanSeagulls, with its location set to “on the chimney”.

• Read more: Holy memes! The conclave goes viral online

Residents of Schiavon, the small northern Italian town where the papal front runner Pietro Parolin was born, are preparing a party in case he is elected pope.

Still known by the 2,000 residents as “Don Piero”, a term of endearment typically used for parish priests in the Veneto dialect, Parolin, 70, is recalled as a devout child who was building altars and giving mass at the age of 11 when his contemporaries were playing football.

A childhood friend, Enzo Petucco, told the Italian daily La Stampa that the local priest at the time jokingly referred to the young Parolin as “the pope”.

As the Vatican’s secretary of state and top diplomat, Parolin has since gained a reputation for his tact and negotiating skills.

The Casa di Santa Marta in the Vatican City is hosting cardinals during the conclave

VICTOR SOKOLOWICZ/BLOOMBERG

The black smoke after the two inconclusive morning votes means that cardinals will now return to the Casa Santa Marta for lunch. This is the Vatican residence where Pope Francis lived and which is used to host cardinals during conclaves.

Lunch is scheduled for 12.30 and the cardinals are due to leave the Casa Santa Marta to return to the Sistine Chapel at 3.45, meaning prayer and siesta time has been factored in.

Two votes are scheduled this afternoon, making a total of five over the course of yesterday and today. Pope Francis was elected on the fifth ballot while his predecessor Benedict was elected on the fourth.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the college of cardinals, said that he hoped a new pontiff would emerge by the end of the second day of voting in the Sistine Chapel.

“I hope that when I return to Rome this evening I will find white smoke already,” Re, who is not taking part in the conclave because he is over 80, said during a visit to Pompeii.

The 91-year-old cardinal said that the new pope would have to try to strengthen faith in God in a world characterised by technological progress but which had a tendency to forget God. “So there is the need for a reawakening,” he said.

ANDREW MEDICHINI/AP

Black smoke has billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 11.50am local time, meaning no pope has been elected in the first two votes of the day.

This is slightly ahead of schedule, since the Vatican predicted the smoke after the two morning votes would be seen from noon onwards. This means the cardinals have found their footing and accelerated the pace of voting after yesterday’s delays.

Mexican worshippers wait in St Peter’s Square on the second day of the conclave

STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP

With no smoke visible by 11am local time, it appears likely that no pope has been elected in the first vote of the four scheduled for today.

As explained earlier, if there is no result during the two morning votes, a black smoke will only be seen at the end of the morning session, meaning from noon onwards.

If there is a result however, white smoke is seen immediately after the winning vote. So at noon or shortly after, we should get the first smoke of the day.

Dozens of profiles have been written about the veteran Rome tailor Raniero Mancinelli, who has dressed popes and has been preparing cassocks he hopes the new man will wear when he emerges onto the balcony of St Peter’s basilica.

But Il Messaggero has revealed one of the three cassocks to be offered this time has been made by another tailor, Ety Cicioni.

The Vatican has released images of the clothes rack ready for the new pope in the so-called Room of Tears where he will get dressed after his election.

Visible are a white wool cassock, a white vestment worn over it, a short red cape or “mozzetta” worn over that and a red stole with golden embroidery to be worn over the shoulders.

Offered the whole debutant’s wardrobe, Pope Francis famously wore only the cassock when he greeted crowds in 2013, signalling his desire for a less formal papacy.

A seagull and a drone fight for air space over St Peter’s Square

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP

An invasion of pilgrims and tourists is a boon for some businesses around the Vatican, but not for all.

Those closest to the Sistine Chapel have found their phone and internet connections cut off as a digital blackout seeks to preserve the conclave from outside interference.

“Even our fixed-line phone has been deactivated,” Daria, a teacher who lives close to the papal residence where cardinals are sequestered, told La Repubblica.

Bars and restaurants have found their electronic payment systems disabled. Staff at a Mercedes garage were told to close for the 2013 conclave, but given a tax rebate.

At the nearby Pausa Caffè bar, the manager was serving clients on trust before they withdrew cash from an ATM. “Let’s hope this is the shortest conclave in history,” one restaurateur said.

People arrive at St Peter’s Square ahead of the second voting session of the conclave”

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP

According to the Vatican, if no result is obtained by Saturday, cardinals will get a day off.

“Voting occurs four times daily — twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon. If, after three days, no candidate has been chosen, voting is paused for one day of prayer, informal discussions, and a brief spiritual exhortation by the senior cardinal deacon,” the Vatican said.

“Voting then resumes. After every seven additional rounds without success, another pause and exhortation follow — first by the senior cardinal priest, and later, if necessary, by the senior cardinal bishop.

“If still no Pope is elected after 21 votes, a final pause for prayer, dialogue, and reflection is observed. At this point, voting continues, but the cardinals may only choose between the two candidates who received the most votes in the previous round.”

In that scenario, the winner must secure a two-thirds majority.

The first conclave vote is considered a free-for-all when cardinals can back their ideal candidate, before voting becomes more strategic from the second day onwards, with voting blocs emerging and a narrowing list of candidates gaining traction.

The process needs breaks in which cardinals can negotiate, meaning that if no result comes this morning, today’s lunch will be crucial.

In his book The Election of Pope Francis about the 2013 conclave, the Vatican expert Gerard O’Connell reported that during lunch on day two, Jorge Bergoglio was asked by cardinals for a copy of the powerful speech he had given in a pre-conclave meeting.

That speech helped secure him the votes he needed to be elected by the end of the day.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the college of cardinals, is too old to vote in the conclave

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO/AP

At the final mass in preparation for the conclave, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Italian 91-year-old dean of the college of cardinals, told colleagues that they faced a choice “for which you must abandon any personal considerations”.

Re may have also revealed his personal preference in a hot-mic incident as he exchanged the sign of peace with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a top contender.

Re, who is too old to vote in the conclave, gripped Parolin’s shoulders and was caught on a microphone saying in Italian, “auguri e doppi,” or “best wishes twice”. The phrase could refer to Parolin’s double role as a candidate and as the most senior cardinal present in the Sistine Chapel and responsible for organising the vote.

The cardinal from northeast Italy had the support of a bloc of around 70 cardinals seeking a stabilising figure after the excitement of the Francis papacy, the Il Messaggero newspaper said.

Followers have started to arrive in St Peter’s Square on the second day of voting

DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP

Of the total 252 Catholic cardinals, 135 are under 80 and therefore eligible to vote, meaning the conclave will be the largest in recent history. Many are first-timers who have arrived from far-flung countries, including 27 from Asia and Oceania thanks to the late Pope Francis’s drive to name cardinals outside Europe and the Americas.

The decision to start on May 7, ­instead of the earliest possible date of May 5, suggests that the cardinals wanted more time to get to know each other.

Daily meetings known as general congregations had been held at the Vatican to ­allow cardinals to make speeches about the future of the church and consider the CVs of candidates. “It was mentioned that a lot of people don’t know each other and so maybe when they spoke they could they say where they are from,” said Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster. “After a request, we will also have name badges stating where we are from.”

• Read more: When was the longest conclave?

The American cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley has said that the conclave should not be seen as a Hollywood epic but as a “very spiritual experience”.

In an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, O’Malley, 80, appeared to take aim at the social media celebration of the high camp aspect of the ancient Vatican vote, but also the political horse trading highlighted in the film Conclave.

O’Malley pointed out how the cardinals are not meant to pick the pope they want, but figure out who God has already decided on.

“It doesn’t work like in the political world with political parties. It is a question of faith. We all want to elect the pope that God wants,” he said.

Possible pontiffs include, from left: Luis Antonio Tagle, Matteo Zuppi, Pietro Parolin and Pierbattista Pizzaballa

As Vatican experts issue their lists of papabili, or strong candidates to run the Catholic Church, it is worth remembering that they are usually wrong.

Call it divine will, call it unpredictable cardinals, but what goes on inside the Sistine Chapel before the white smoke emerges often upsets the odds and hands the role to an outsider.

The Guinean cardinal Robert Sarah went into the 2013 conclave tipped as a strong contender, only for that billing to apparently crush his chances, proving the Roman expression that “he who enters a conclave as Pope exits as a cardinal”.

• Read more: Leading candidates who could succeed Francis

Throughout the entirety of the conclave an expert technician will remain “in a small technical room near the Sistine Chapel with the stove’s remote control,” Silvio Screpanti, the Vatican City’s deputy director of infrastructure, said.

To rule out any visual ambiguity, the bells of St Peter’s Basilica will toll to confirm the church has a new popes.

Chemicals have been used to colour the smoke since 1958

ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP

The tradition of burning the cardinals’ paper ballots dates back to the 15th century, while the use of white smoke to signal the election of a pope is a modern innovation, introduced in 1914.

After confusion caused by grey-looking smoke, the Vatican added a second stove in 2005 that burns chemicals to give a distinctive colour. It connects to a small flue which feeds into the same chimney.

Chemicals have been used to colour the smoke since 1958 but the newer stove — used for the first time during the election of Benedict XVI — is fitted with a fan and makes the smoke more visible.

A mix of potassium perchlorate, sulphur and anthracene — found in coal tar — is used to turn the smoke black, while potassium chlorate, lactose and pine resin make it white.

One theory for the delay in yesterday’s vote decision is that votes had to be recounted or recast after an error.

In 2013 one cardinal who wanted to vote for Jorge Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis, wrote “Broglio” by mistake.

Black smoke yesterday evening indicated that no decision has been made

YARA NARDI/REUTERS

Conclave watchers are trying to figure out why the result from the first vote on Wednesday took such a long time. The crowd in St Peter’s Square waited for more than three hours from the moment the doors of the Sistine Chapel closed at 5.43pm to when black smoke appeared at 9pm, even though the Vatican had said the result could arrive from 7pm.

One explanation is that cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, 90, who had the task of delivering a meditation to the electors after the doors closed before leaving them to vote, spoke for far longer than was expected.

Another reason is that the record number of cardinals — 133 rather than 115 in 2013 — needed more time to approach the urn one by one and deposit their voting slips, and the many first timers were unsure of the procedure.

If there is no result during the two morning votes, black smoke will be visible at the end of the morning session, meaning from noon local time.

Similarly, if there is no result at the end of the afternoon session, black smoke will be seen at the end of the session, meaning from 5pm.

The new pope, when elected, will appear on the balcony at St Peter’s Basilica

ANTONIO MASIELLOGETTY

From Tom Kington and Philip Willan in the Vatican City

The conclave to elect a new pope enters its second day today, with four votes — two in the morning and two in the afternoon — following a single, initial vote yesterday afternoon which produced no result.

The 133 voting cardinals who were due to leave their Vatican residence for the Sistine Chapel at 7.45am must return a two-thirds majority vote — meaning 89 votes — to elect a new pope.

Possible occasions to look out for white smoke pouring from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning a pope has been elected, are from 10.30am, noon, 5.30pm and 7pm, the Vatican has said.