While Rome awaits the new Pope, the traditional signal for a successful election is white smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel's chimney. However, on Wednesday, a different signal was seen - pink smoke. But it wasn't from the Vatican's chimney. Instead, a group of Catholic women released pink smoke from flares in a park overlooking St. Peter's dome to protest the Church's stance on women's ordination. They demanded that women be allowed to seek priesthood, highlighting the need for greater inclusion and equality within the Church.

What is pink smoke?

The use of pink smoke, a symbol often associated with feminist movements, was a deliberate choice to draw attention to the issue of women's ordination. The protest took place on a hill overlooking St. Peter's Dome, a location that offered a striking backdrop for the demonstration. The Women's Ordination Conference has been a long-time advocate for female priesthood, and this protest was a significant step in their campaign. The use of pink smoke was a powerful visual statement, one that highlighted the determination and passion of the women involved.

 Miriam Duignan, of the Wijngaards Institute, emphasised that the Catholic Church cannot ignore the voices of women. "We are saying to the cardinals, you cannot keep ignoring 50 per cent of the Catholic population, you cannot go into a locked room and discuss the future of the Church without half of the Church," she said as reported by AFP. Duignan stressed that the newly elected pope must prioritise women's inclusion, stating, "Whoever they elect needs to be brave enough to properly tackle the question of women's inclusion, because so far it has not been, even by Pope Francis."

Duignan, who has a history of activism, was briefly detained in 2011 for attempting to deliver a petition to the Vatican. She believes that taking their protest to the Vatican would have resulted in similar treatment. "Whenever we go down to St Peter's Square, we are detained by the police... and we are certainly not invited to go into the conclave," Duignan said, highlighting the challenges faced by women advocating for change within the Church. 

No pope was elected in the first round of voting

Meanwhile, the papal conclave has entered its second day as 133 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. After the first round of voting on Wednesday, black smoke billowed from the chimney, signalling that no candidate had secured the required two-thirds majority. Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square, eagerly awaiting the outcome. The cardinals will continue voting, with white smoke expected to signal the election of a new pope once a candidate receives the necessary votes.