VATICAN CITY (AP) — Catholic cardinals from around the world gathered in the Vatican on Wednesday for the start of the conclave, the centuries-old secret voting ritual to elect a new pope to follow Pope Francis, who died April 21. The 133 cardinals are taking part in the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. Their cellphones are surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican are jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.
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Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Nuns applaud as black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People wait in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to catch a glimpse of the smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave that will elect the successor of late Pope Francis, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo Markus Schreiber)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Cardinals arrive to attend the first day of the conclave to elect the successor of late Pope Francis inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP)
People watch on a giant screen as the cardinals take their oath in the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
A giant screen in St Peter's Square shows a seagull near the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
A giant screen in St Peter's Basilica shows a Vatican official closing the door to the Sistine Chapel after calling out "extra omnes", Latin for "all out", during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Activists from the Women's Ordination Conference release pink smoke to call for full equality for women in the Catholic Church on the first day of the conclave to elect the 267th pope, in Rome, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Faithful capture images with their smartphones of cardinals during a final Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Clouds pass over St Peter's Basilica during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Priests standing on a terrace look at St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Nuns enter an ice cream coffee bar near the Vatican, in Rome, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, on the day cardinals sequester themselves at the Vatican for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th Roman pontiff, a successor to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A faithful arrives in St. Peter's Square for the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The chimney atop the roof of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Faithful kneel during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter's Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi walks through the St. Anna gate, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A woman holds up a sign for peace in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Cardinals, with white mitre hats, attend a final Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
German cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller walks in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Faithful gather in St. Peter's Square as Cardinals are entering in the Sistine Chapel to start the Conclave at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A giant screen in St Peter's Basilica shows cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Nuns applaud as black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People wait in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to catch a glimpse of the smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave that will elect the successor of late Pope Francis, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo Markus Schreiber)
People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Cardinals arrive to attend the first day of the conclave to elect the successor of late Pope Francis inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP)
People watch on a giant screen as the cardinals take their oath in the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
A giant screen in St Peter's Square shows a seagull near the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
A giant screen in St Peter's Basilica shows a Vatican official closing the door to the Sistine Chapel after calling out "extra omnes", Latin for "all out", during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Activists from the Women's Ordination Conference release pink smoke to call for full equality for women in the Catholic Church on the first day of the conclave to elect the 267th pope, in Rome, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Faithful capture images with their smartphones of cardinals during a final Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Clouds pass over St Peter's Basilica during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Priests standing on a terrace look at St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Nuns enter an ice cream coffee bar near the Vatican, in Rome, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, on the day cardinals sequester themselves at the Vatican for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th Roman pontiff, a successor to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A faithful arrives in St. Peter's Square for the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The chimney atop the roof of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Faithful kneel during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter's Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi walks through the St. Anna gate, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A woman holds up a sign for peace in St Peter's Square during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Cardinals, with white mitre hats, attend a final Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
German cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller walks in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Faithful gather in St. Peter's Square as Cardinals are entering in the Sistine Chapel to start the Conclave at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A giant screen in St Peter's Basilica shows cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
