And the first smoke was black, with tension in St. Peter's Square at its peak after a two-hour delay and 45,000 people waiting. It had been announced that the smoke would be at seven in the evening, and it had to wait until nine at night to know that there is still no new Pope.
The 133 cardinals who will choose the new Pontiff locked themselves in the Sistine Chapel at a quarter to six, with the "Extra Omnes" (Everyone out!) pronounced by Archbishop Diego Ravelli. Before closing the doors, the cardinals, including the 267th Pope, swore on the Gospel to keep silence about what happens inside the Sistine Chapel during the Conclave.
The day began with the 'Pro Eligendo Pontifice' mass in the basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican, presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, who will not participate in the vote because he is 91 years old.
In his homily, the dean advocated for "unity" in a "decision of great importance," where "any personal consideration must be abandoned." "The unity of the Church is desired by Christ; a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and deep communion in diversity, as long as it remains in full fidelity to the Gospel," he said.
After the Eucharist, the cardinals returned to the residence of Santa Marta for lunch. At 4:15 PM, they were summoned to the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and then processed to the nearby Sistine Chapel, where the 133 took the oath followed by the closing of the doors.
The election of the 267th Pope requires 89 votes, two-thirds of the 133 participating cardinals. On Thursday, there will be two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon, although there will only be one smoke in the morning and one in the afternoon if the votes are negative.
The cardinals will meet again on Thursday at 9 a.m. for new votes
This Thursday, the 133 cardinals under eighty years old will meet again from 9:00 a.m. for new votes.
It is planned to have two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon, and if in the first of each round there is no agreement on a name, there will only be two smokes, probably not before 12:00 and 7:00 p.m.
If there is smoke before those hours, it would indicate that the cardinals have given a two-thirds majority to one of them, which is set at 89 votes.
The regulations establish that in the first three days, two votes are held in the morning and two in the afternoon.
If after those three days no one has reached the necessary votes, there will be a day of reflection and prayers without voting, which would be next Sunday. Then there will be three rounds of seven votes, with their respective breaks.
After those negative votes, the new Pontiff will be chosen between the two most voted, but must always achieve an absolute majority of the votes.
Now, the cardinals will leave the Sistine Chapel to have dinner and sleep, but always within the Vatican territory, less than half a square kilometer in the center of Rome, as they are forbidden to leave or communicate with the outside under penalty of excommunication.
Black smoke: no Pope after the first conclave vote
The first vote of the conclave that began this Wednesday ended with black smoke, indicating that there is no two-thirds majority among the cardinals to choose the successor of Francis. The black smoke began to come out of the chimney above the Sistine Chapel at 9:00 p.m., more than three hours after the formal start of the conclave. Tension in St. Peter's Square was at its peak, as it had been announced that the smoke would be at seven in the evening and it appeared more than two hours later.
45,000 people in St. Peter's Square
According to Vatican News, the number of people waiting for the smoke in St. Peter's Square amounts to 45,000. The smoke is delayed by two hours perhaps because the conclave started very late, at a quarter to six.
The smoke is delayed. "Only God knows when and who will be the new Pope"
It was supposed to arrive at 7:00 p.m., at the latest at 7:30 p.m. But the smoke indicating if the new Pope has been elected continues to be delayed. Although no one knows what is happening inside the Sistine Chapel, the hypothesis is that they locked themselves in very late, hence the delay in the vote, as the closing of the chapel was at a quarter to six in the afternoon, later than initially planned. Many of the curious waiting in St. Peter's Square are already sitting on the ground while waiting. "Only God knows when and who will be...", said one of the attendees. In the face of the delay, some are beginning to give up and leave.