Black smoke on second round of voting, no pope elected | Live updates

Cardinals will return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday after the first voting session of the conclave on Wednesday failed to find consensus on who will become the next pope.

The electors are expected to participate in four rounds of voting through the course of the day.

The cardinals will gather for a mass in the Pauline Chapel at around 8 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), after which they will return to the Sistine Chapel at around 9:15 a.m. (3:15 a.m. ET) to vote.

Two ballot burnings are planned. One is expected at the end of the morning around 12 p.m. (6 a.m. ET) and the second in the evening at around 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET)

-ABC News' Phoebe Natanson, Clark Bentson and Joe Simonetti

Many faithful are hoping that the second day of the conclave will give the church and the world a new pope after a first vote produced dark smoke on Wednesday evening, sending a disappointed crowd to disperse in all directions in Rome.

Earlier, some of the people had started thinking that the long wait was the sign cardinals had reached a decision in a first vote, which would be unprecedented in the modern era.

"They probably need more time," said Costanza Ranaldi, a 63-year-old who travelled from Pescara in Italy's Abruzzo region to be present at the historic moment.

Chiara Pironi, a 26-year-old who lives in Rome, said she would keep returning to St. Peter's Square until a new pope is chosen.

"I don't want to miss that moment," she said.

Cardinals will return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday to resume voting for a new pope after the first conclave ballot failed to find a winner, sending billowing black smoke through the chapel chimney.

Some of the 133 voting cardinals had said they expected a short conclave to replace Pope Francis. But it will likely take a few rounds of voting for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope.

The cardinals were sequestered from the outside world Wednesday, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new pope.

The cardinals participating in the conclave have now retired for the evening to Santa Marta, a building adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica, where the Vatican guesthouses are located.

They will return to the Sistine Chapel for the first full day of the conclave on Thursday morning.

On Day 2, the cardinals will begin their day with a mass in the Pauline Chapel and then retreat to the Sistine Chapel for voting. They will participate in four rounds of voting, with two burnings of the ballots planned, one in the morning and one in the evening.

Voting will continue until they reach a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope.

-ABC News' Clark Bentson and Phoebe Natanson