Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Thursday, signaling the second failed attempt by the conclave to elect a new pope during the morning voting sessions, according to journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The 133 cardinals, gathered in complete isolation behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel, failed to reach the required two-thirds majority to select the new leader of the Catholic Church.

The cardinals will resume voting with two additional rounds in the afternoon, and if no candidate secures the necessary majority, black smoke will rise again around 17:00 GMT.

If a new pope is elected, white smoke will emerge immediately, signaling that the spiritual leader for 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide has been chosen.

The voting continues under strict secrecy, with the cardinals remaining completely cut off from the outside world until a decision is reached.