Black Smoke Arises From Sistine Chapel; No New Pope Elected Yet

St. Peter's Square is packed with thousands of pilgrims who yelled, "It's black! It's black!" as they saw a cloud of black smoke begin to emerge from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The black smoke is an indication that the first conclave vote did not elect a successor to John Paul II. When the smoke is white—meaning that a new pope has been elected—the spectators will also be notified by Vatican bells ringing to signal that a new pope has been chosen. Because the pope is also bishop of Rome, one of Italy's 20 voting cardinals could be chosen. Over half of the voting cardinals are from Europe, 20 are from Latin America, and 11 are from the United States.

The conclave to select a new pope began on Sunday afternoon, when the 115 cardinals from six continents taking part in the conclave moved into the Domus Sanctae Marthae hotel in the afternoon and had dinner together. The Vatican’s security squad prepared the Sistine Chapel for the conclave by sweeping the chapel for listening devices. Cooks, maids, elevator operators, drivers, and other staff were sworn to secrecy. Early Monday morning the cardinals celebrated a morning mass, and then they marched in a solemn processional from the Apostolic Palace into the chapel, where they gathered under Michelangelo’s famous fresco. Video cameras showed the crimson-clad cardinals as they marched, chanting the Litany of the Saints, and then as they together read out an oath of secrecy, led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Then, one by one, they filed up to a Book of the Gospels and pronounced a second oath with their right hands on the book. Altar servers carrying two long, lit white candles and a metal crucifix led the cardinals in their procession.

Following the public part of the ceremony, the massive doors to the Sistine Chapel were closed, and the cardinals were sequestered under tight security so that they can decide who will be the next pontiff to lead the church and the 1.1 billion Catholics in the world. The cardinals are virtually entirely cut off from the world, and only they know what's happening now. No television, Internet, newspapers, radio or cell phones are allowed inside the chapel during the conclave, and apparently the cardinals packed for a long haul. One Italian newspaper reports that some of the cardinals have taken in CD players and headphones along with their prayer books and snacks.

Monday afternoon the cardinals voted for the first time, and this first round of voting was inconclusive, resulting in the black smoke. The smoke is from the burning of the secret ballots after each round of voting. The cardinals whose responsibility it is to choose Pope John Paul II's successor will retire for the night, and in the morning they'll return to the chapel for two more rounds of voting. At least 77 votes, from two-thirds of the 115 voting cardinals, are needed to elect a pontiff during initial balloting. But under rules updated in 1996 by the late Pope John Paul II, the number required could shrink to a simple majority at some point in the second week if the deliberations are not progressing smoothly.

Each day of the conclave are expected to follow the same schedule, with two rounds of balloting in the morning and another two rounds of balloting in the afternoon. The Vatican spokesman said smoke signals from burned ballot papers could likely be seen at about noon or 7 p.m. each day coming from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, while the world awaits the verdict.