Campaigners released pink smoke near St. Peter's Basilica as cardinals began the conclave to elect a new pope on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The demonstration aimed to highlight the demand for women's ordination within the Catholic Church.
The campaigners, including Miriam Duignan and Kate McElwee, emphasized that women constitute 50% of the Catholic population and should not be excluded from discussions about the Church's future. They criticized the ongoing exclusion of women from the priesthood as an injustice and a crisis.
The pink smoke was a symbolic gesture, mirroring the traditional white or black smoke used to announce the election of a new pope. The activists hope the new pope will address the issue of women's inclusion. The campaigners say women took equal roles in worship in the early church, before medieval reforms.