The cardinals are voting inside the Sistine Chapel, but the seagulls have the high ground.
As the world watches the conclave, underway inside the Sistine Chapel, seagulls perched atop the roof, giving them a bird’s-eye view of the chimney where a plume of white or black smoke will soon tell the world whether a new pope has been elected.
Seagulls perched themselves atop the Sistine Chapel roof, as if lying in @EWTNVatican / XThe livestream camera showing a fixed shot of the tile roof of the historic chapel has featured at least one seagull for most of the afternoon, and the bird appears to be watching the chimney with interest.
Everything to know about the conclave
- A conclave is a meeting between cardinals that will privately select a new pope.
- 133 cardinals from around the world have entered the Sistine Chapel for the selection process, and will be the most geographically diverse in history.
- The process could last several days, with the average duration based on the past conclaves lasting roughly three days.
- Ballots will be cast beginning at 4:30 p.m., and a chimney will carry white smoke to announce that a new pope has been chosen, or black if inconclusive. A two-thirds majority vote is required to pick a successor.
- On May 8, white smoke was seen coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling the College of Cardinals had chosen a successor.
Occasionally the gull took flight from his vantage point, returning with what appeared to be a morsel of food in his beak. Sometimes he was joined by a fellow feathered friend for a prime spot as thousands watch the very same chimney from St. Peter’s Square.
Even a baby seagull flew in for a view of the chimney, landing mere inches from the famous smokestack.
The curious seabirds have found fans on social media, with numerous posts devoted to the strange sighting.
“I’m watching Sky News waiting for the smoke, and my cats decided that the seagull on the Sistine Chapel’s roof is the single most exciting thing ever,” wrote one X user accompanying a photo of their cats attempting to bat at the birds on their TV screen.
Sometimes there were two adult seagulls on the roof, even a baby, who stood just a few inches from the famous smokestack.
Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Wednesday as the papal conclave to elect a new pontiff got underway. AFP via Getty Images“The most watched seagull in existence,” quipped another poster.
Smoke had yet to rise from the chimney as the sun began to set in Rome. A new pope cannot be elected until receiving a two-thirds majority — or 89 votes — out of the 133 elector cardinals participating in the conclave.
If no consensus is reached Wednesday, the College of Cardinals will pick up again at 9:30 a.m. local time Thursday, followed by a mid-morning prayer.
