Strap in for more black smoke signals: it once took conclave 3 years to decide next Pope

Onlookers at the Vatican were disappointed to see more black smoke signals on the second morning of the papal conclave (May 8) but may need more patience than that as it once took cardinals almost three years to decide the next Pope.

The longest papal conclave took almost three years between 1268 and 1271 and the shortest took a matter of hours in 1503.

It took more than 1,000 days to elect Pope Clement IV in the 13th century.

Since 1831 however, the process has usually have latest less than a week. The conclave have now voted twice since being sequestered after the death of Pope Francis who was elected in March 2023 after only five ballots across two days.

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