If you were watching on Day 1, the best estimate for the first smoke was around 1 p.m. Eastern, shortly after 7 p.m. in Rome. That was only an expected window, not a fixed appointment: the actual signal came about two hours later and was black. The 2025 conclave’s first day involved one ballot, and the required two-thirds threshold was 89 votes among 133 participating cardinal electors.
The Vatican News/Vatican Media feed was the best primary viewing option, with CBS News and other broadcasters providing alternatives. Because the event has concluded, those links now lead to archived coverage, channel pages, or general live-news pages rather than a current conclave broadcast.
What happened on the first day?
The formal opening of the 2025 papal conclave took place on Wednesday, May 7, in Rome. The cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel in the afternoon, took the required oath, and held the single ballot permitted on the first day.
That ballot did not elect a pope. Around 9 p.m. Rome time, the chimney above the Sistine Chapel released black smoke. Vatican News reported the signal at approximately 9 p.m.; some contemporaneous reports placed it a minute or two later, so “around 9 p.m.” is the most precise wording.
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The conclave continued the next day. At 6:07 p.m. Rome time on May 8, white smoke appeared after the fourth ballot. The elected cardinal was Robert Francis Prevost, who chose the name Leo XIV. The Vatican identifies him as the 267th pope.
For the Vatican’s current official profile, see Leo XIV’s page on Vatican.va.
Day 1 schedule: Rome and U.S. Eastern time
These were the published times for May 7, 2025. Rome was six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Daylight Time.
| Event | Rome | U.S. Eastern |
|---|---|---|
| Mass for the election of the pope | 10:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. EDT |
| Entry into the conclave and oath-taking | 4:30 p.m. | 10:30 a.m. EDT |
| Expected first smoke window | Shortly after 7:00 p.m. | About 1:00 p.m. EDT |
| Actual Day 1 signal | About 9:00 p.m. | About 3:00 p.m. EDT |
The Vatican’s official notice confirmed the 4:30 p.m. entry and oath-taking ceremony. The estimate of shortly after 7 p.m. came from the expected end of the first-day session, not from a guaranteed smoke schedule. The Vatican press office schedule and America’s pre-event timing explanation provide the contemporaneous planning details.
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U.S. time-zone guide
| Location | Expected window: around 7 p.m. Rome | Actual signal: around 9 p.m. Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | 1:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| Central | Noon | 2:00 p.m. |
| Mountain | 11:00 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| Pacific | 10:00 a.m. | Noon |
| Alaska | 9:00 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| Hawaii | 7:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. |
How to watch the conclave coverage
There is no longer a live 2025 conclave to stream. However, the following were the most useful viewing routes during the event, and some may still offer recordings or related coverage.
1. Vatican News and Vatican Media
The best primary source was the official Vatican News YouTube channel. Vatican News also announced coverage through its Vatican Media coverage page, including the Mass, the afternoon entry ceremony, live views of the chimney, smoke signals, and expanded reporting after white smoke.
- Open the Vatican News YouTube channel or its conclave coverage page.
- Look for a video labeled for the conclave, papal election, smoke, or Vatican Media.
- If a live video had not yet started, use the channel’s Live tab or refresh the coverage page.
- Keep a mainstream news feed open as a backup, since the Vatican feed could include long periods of waiting and wide shots with little commentary.
- After white smoke, remain on the stream. The smoke signals the election, but the pope’s name is announced afterward.
2. CBS News
CBS News announced an extended special report beginning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern on May 7, with continuing reports whenever smoke appeared. Its listed options included CBS, CBS News 24/7, CBSNews.com/live, Paramount+, YouTube, and CBS News social channels. The CBS announcement has the original distribution details.
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CBS was useful for U.S.-focused explanation and Vatican correspondents, but a general news feed might cut away from the chimney or place commentary around the clean video signal. Some platform options may also depend on a television or streaming subscription.
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3. Other coverage and archives
EWTN offered a live YouTube watch from St. Peter’s Square during Day 1. The video is now an archive: EWTN’s Day 1 conclave stream.
Contemporaneous coverage also listed NBC News, USA TODAY, CNBC, The Mirror, CNN, the Associated Press, and other news organizations as possible sources. Availability and URLs for live-event pages change, so these should be treated as outlets that offered coverage at the time—not as guaranteed permanent chimney feeds. The original Forbes Day 1 viewing guide recorded those options.
Why the smoke did not appear at the predicted time
The conclave schedule determines when voting sessions begin, but it does not set an exact minute for the smoke. The signal follows the ballot process. The cardinals must complete the ceremony, cast their ballots, count and verify them, determine whether the required majority has been reached, and then burn the ballots and associated notes.
Timing can also vary depending on the number of electors, the speed of voting, whether ballots are burned immediately or together with a subsequent ballot, and—if someone has been elected—the time needed for the candidate to accept the election and choose a papal name.
That is why “around 1 p.m. Eastern” was a watch window rather than an appointment. On May 7, the expected signal was shortly after 7 p.m. Rome time, but black smoke appeared around 9 p.m.
White smoke could theoretically have appeared earlier. If the first-day ballot had produced a two-thirds majority, the election signal would have followed the counting, verification, acceptance, and related formalities rather than waiting for a later publicized time. Conversely, no smoke at the expected time would not by itself have proved that the ballot failed; the process might simply still have been underway.
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What black smoke and white smoke mean
Black smoke
Black smoke means that no candidate received the required majority on that ballot. It does not identify a leading candidate, reveal the vote totals, show how close the result was, or prove that the cardinals were in a serious deadlock. The strictly verifiable message is that the ballot did not elect a pope.
On the first day of the 2025 conclave, black smoke therefore meant: one ballot had been completed, no pope had been elected, and the cardinals would return for additional voting.
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White smoke
White smoke means that a pope has been elected. It does not immediately tell viewers who the new pope is. After the election, the cardinal must accept it and select a papal name. The newly elected pope then changes into white papal clothing in the Room of Tears, while preparations are made for the public announcement.
The cardinal protodeacon eventually appears on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica and announces Habemus Papam—“We have a pope”—before presenting the new pope to the crowd. The Vatican News explanation of the post-smoke sequence describes why there can be a noticeable interval between white smoke and the name announcement.
In the traditional public signal, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica also ring with white smoke. The bells are useful confirmation, but viewers should still rely on the Vatican or a reputable broadcaster rather than on a social-media caption or an uncertain first wisp of smoke.
How the Vatican makes the smoke
The chimney is connected to two stoves. One burns the ballots and related notes. The second uses chemical cartridges to produce a visibly black or white signal. The system is intended to make the color clearer and more reliable than simply relying on the smoke produced by burning paper.
The technical explanation is less important than the interpretation: black indicates an inconclusive ballot, while white indicates a successful election. For further detail on the equipment and smoke production, see Vatican News’ explanation of how a pope is elected and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops report on the stoves.
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How many votes were needed?
The governing rules required a candidate to receive at least two-thirds of the cardinal electors present and voting. There were 133 participating electors in the 2025 conclave, so the threshold was 89 votes.
That is 89—not 90, and not “89 plus one.” The rule governing the first day also matters: when voting begins during the afternoon, only one ballot is held on the first day. On subsequent full days, the normal pattern is two morning ballots and two afternoon ballots. The relevant provisions appear in Universi Dominici Gregis, the apostolic constitution governing the vacant See and papal election.
What would the later-day smoke windows have been?
If Day 1 had not produced a pope, these were the approximate windows viewers could have used for subsequent days. They were estimates based on the voting timetable, not guaranteed signal times.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Possible result | Rome | U.S. Eastern |
|---|---|---|
| Election on the first morning ballot | About 10:30 a.m. | About 4:30 a.m. |
| Two inconclusive morning ballots | About noon | About 6:00 a.m. |
| Election on the first afternoon ballot | About 5:30 p.m. | About 11:30 a.m. |
| Two inconclusive afternoon ballots | Shortly after 7:00 p.m. | Shortly after 1:00 p.m. |
The actual second day illustrated both the uncertainty and the usefulness of these windows. Black smoke appeared at about 11:51 a.m. Rome time after two morning ballots. White smoke then appeared at 6:07 p.m. after the fourth ballot, as reported by Vatican News.
What is a papal conclave?
A conclave is the secret election of the Bishop of Rome by eligible cardinal electors. The word comes from the Latin idea of being locked in with a key. In practical terms, the cardinals are sequestered from the public and the media, and almost no information about individual votes or internal discussions is released while the election is underway.
That secrecy is why the chimney remains the central public source of information. Viewers do not receive exit polls, candidate totals, or reliable inside updates. The smoke communicates only the basic result of the ballot: inconclusive or successful.
How to avoid common viewing mistakes
- Do not confuse the movie with the real event. The 2024 film Conclave is a fictional drama. The links above concern live or archived coverage of the real 2025 papal election.
- Do not treat the predicted time as exact. A scheduled session ending is not the same as a scheduled smoke release.
- Do not infer a vote margin from black smoke. It only means that the two-thirds threshold was not reached.
- Be cautious with the first visible wisps. Night lighting, haze, camera exposure, and the transition from gray to black or white can make the color difficult to judge.
- Do not rely on an unverified social-media post. Look for confirmation from Vatican News or a reputable broadcaster, and listen for the bells when white smoke appears.
- Stay with the broadcast after white smoke. The pope’s name and first public appearance come after the smoke signal.
The 2025 result in full
The first day, May 7, ended without an election and with black smoke around 9 p.m. Rome time. The following day, the fourth ballot produced white smoke at 6:07 p.m. Rome time. Robert Francis Prevost was elected and became Pope Leo XIV.
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The event is now historical, but the archived footage remains useful for understanding how the public ritual works: the waiting outside the Sistine Chapel, the uncertainty over the color, the bells after a successful vote, and the interval before Habemus Papam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was there one ballot or two on the first day of the 2025 conclave?
There was one ballot. Because voting began on the afternoon of May 7, the governing rules permitted only one first-day ballot. The 2025 conclave then held additional ballots on May 8.
What did the black smoke on May 7, 2025 mean?
It meant that no candidate received the required two-thirds majority on the single first-day ballot. It did not reveal the leading candidate, the vote totals, or how close the result was.
Did white smoke immediately announce Pope Leo XIV’s name?
No. White smoke announced that a pope had been elected. The elected cardinal first accepted the election and chose a papal name; the cardinal protodeacon then announced “Habemus Papam” from St. Peter’s Basilica before the new pope appeared on the balcony.
Can I still watch the conclave livestream?
The 2025 conclave has ended, so there is no current live conclave broadcast. The Vatican News YouTube channel, Vatican News coverage page, CBS News Live page, and EWTN’s YouTube video may provide archived footage or related coverage, but availability can change.
The Bottom Line
The first-day smoke was expected around 1 p.m. Eastern but actually appeared around 3 p.m. Eastern on May 7, 2025, and it was black. That meant the single first-day ballot had not elected a pope. White smoke arrived at 6:07 p.m. Rome time on May 8 after the fourth ballot, followed by the announcement of Pope Leo XIV.
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