Papal Conclave: Cardinals Begin Vote for New Pope, Black Smoke Signals No Decision

Papal Conclave Begins

• 🇻🇦 The papal conclave has officially begun with cardinals entering the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope.
• 🔒 Cardinals took an oath of secrecy before the doors closed, cutting off communication with the outside world.
• ⏳ The first round of voting concluded after 11 hours, with black smoke billowing from the chapel's chimney, indicating no majority was reached.

Voting Process and Expectations

• 🗳️ A total of 133 voting cardinals, each under 80 years old, will cast ballots until a two-thirds consensus is achieved.
• 🗓️ Cardinals can cast up to four ballots per day, with the first full day of voting expected to involve multiple rounds.
• ⏱️ The initial vote took longer than expected, with the black smoke appearing an hour and a half later than at the previous conclave.

Cardinal Demographics and Catholic Opinion

• 🌍 The cardinals gathered come from 70 countries, reflecting the global nature of the Catholic Church.
• 👨‍⚖️ Pope Francis appointed 80% of the eligible cardinals voting in this conclave.
• 📊 A CBS News poll indicates that over three-quarters of US Catholics favor Pope Francis's direction, with differing views on whether the next pontiff should be more conservative or progressive.

Hopes for the Next Pontiff

• 🙏 Attendees expressed hopes for a holy, pragmatic, and somewhat conservative leader who can foster love and unity in a divided world.
• 🕊️ The election process aims to find a leader capable of seeing unity in diversity.

Historical Context of Conclaves

• 📜 Recent conclaves have concluded relatively quickly, with the last three popes elected in two or three days.
• 🌐 Coverage of the conclave, including timelines and information on contenders, is available on cbsnewyork.com.