Black smoke: the first conclave vote did not result in the election of a new Pope. The chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel relayed the news to thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square a couple of hours later than expected. None of the cardinals achieved the necessary two-thirds majority (89 votes) among the 133 electors, who have been summoned to reconvene on Thursday, with up to four votes planned to designate Francis's successor.
The dark smoke blended with the darkness at nine in the evening. The news was met with a strange mix of jubilation and resignation among the faithful after two hours of eternal waiting that gave rise to all kinds of hypotheses and conspiracy theories.
At least half a dozen candidates with a papabile profile, and as many added in recent days as "second-tier," mingled in the first vote, which traditionally serves as a test. Vatican experts predicted an initial surge for the favorite, Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who had a relative advantage due to his role as president of the conclave.
Parolin is estimated to have garnered the support of around fifty votes, but without sufficient guarantees to solidify his lead. In 2013, the favorite was Archbishop of Milan Angelo Scola, who, however, could not surpass fifty votes as he was blocked by a faction of the conclave, paving the way for a surprise candidate like Francis, "the Pope who came from the end of the world."
"Extra Omnes" ("Everyone out!"). The formula pronounced by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of pontifical liturgical cerebrations, marked the start of the conclave for the election of the successor to Pope Francis at 5:44 p.m. this Wednesday. The 133 cardinal electors from 70 countries, all under 80 years old, were literally locked "cum clavis" ("with key") in the Sistine Chapel to proceed with the day's first and only vote.
The conclave's kickoff was preceded by a lengthy ceremony, broadcast live for an hour on giant screens in St. Peter's Square, the last opportunity for the faithful to see the cardinals in action until the new Pope is elected.
Pietro Parolin, president of the conclave, assumed a special role under Michelangelo's frescoes and addressed the "electors" to remind them of their duties in Latin, including the need to maintain secrecy about the votes and deliberations. He then was the first to swear on the Gospel, followed by each and every cardinal.
The 133 cardinals were isolated behind the Vatican walls after the last Pro Elegendo Romano Pontifice mass in St. Peter's Basilica, where Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (excluded from the conclave for being over 80 years old) urged the electors to choose "the Pope that the Church and humanity need in this difficult, complex, and tormented turn of history."
The homily was followed by the cardinals' last meal in freedom, after which they moved to the Casa Santa Marta, where they will stay temporarily until the new Pope is elected. From there, they proceeded to the Pauline Chapel and joined in the final ritual before seclusion: the procession singing the Veni Creator and asking for the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
The strict conclave rules have changed little since the 13th century when Gregory X established them. Although some precepts have been simplified over time, the fundamental rules of secrecy and isolation of the cardinals during the process have been updated to prevent leaks and external pressures.
Mobile phone connections within the Vatican have been suspended. The cardinals had to surrender all their electronic devices. Frequency jammers were installed at various points, and opaque anti-drone windows were installed in the Sistine Chapel.
All support staff for the 133 cardinals - from the nuns serving food to the cleaning staff - had to sign an oath of secrecy, under penalty of excommunication. Total secrecy will accompany the votes, and the only communication from the conclave to the outside world will be through the smoke signals emitted from the comignolo.
After each vote, the ballots will be burned in a stove, and chemicals will be added to ensure that the smoke emitted is black (if no candidate reaches two-thirds) or white (when the 1.4 billion Catholics can intone "Habemus Papam").
Following Wednesday's first vote, there will be up to four daily votes, with two smoke signals planned around noon or seven in the evening. The average duration of recent conclaves has been three days, although both Francis and Benedict XVI were elected on the second day.
The general feeling among the cardinals is one of relative fatigue due to the lengthy pre-conclave process, including almost daily General Congregation celebrations that have allowed many of them to meet for the first time. Over 80% of the cardinals were appointed by Francis during his 12-year papacy. For the first time, European cardinals make up less than half, while the proportion of Asians and Africans has increased.
Vatican experts predict that the favorite for the succession of Pope Francis, Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, could start with the support of up to fifty votes. However, initial support is not a guarantee of success: Archbishop of Milan Angelo Scola started with a similar advantage in 2013 but was "blocked" by a faction of the conclave and was unable to continue gaining votes, opening the door to a candidate like Francis, who was not initially among the favorites.
At least half a dozen candidates have the papabile profile from the outset, as predicted by Archbishop of Algiers Jean-Paul Vesco (63 years old), who experts consider a possible dark horse (surprise winner) on the eve of the conclave. Maltese Mario Grech and Filipino Pablo Virgilio Siongco David have emerged as second-tier candidates against Pietro Parolin, Luis Antonio Tagle, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Jean-Marc Aveline, Robert Prevost, and Péter Erdö, considered the most "papabile" so far.
"The technological society has forgotten God," were the premonitory words that the cardinals took with them to the conclave, spoken by Cardinal Re in the final homily. "Today's world expects much from the Church for the safeguarding of fundamental, human, and spiritual values, without which human coexistence will not be better or bring good to future generations."