Smoke Signals from the Vatican: First Round of the Papal Election Stalls
Conclave voting at the Vatican concludes without a clear winner, resulting in a stalemate.
The anticipation was palpable on Saint Peter's Square as the first round of the conclave commenced in the Vatican. Hours later, black smoke drifted from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling no new pope had been elected.
Crowds awaited with bated breath to witness the color of the initial smoke signal. Alas, the skies remained grim, and a new spiritual leader was yet to emerge.
Inside the Sistine Chapel, cardinals, numbering 133, found themselves at an impasse, unable to secure the necessary two-thirds majority for their chosen candidate.
Sunset Smoke: A Traditional Signal of Undecided Flock
With sunset upon them, smoke billowed out, reminding devotees that their search for their shepherd was not yet over. It could be sometime before the 267th pope in two thousand years of church history is crowned.
The days ahead may mean multiple voting sessions, with the consensus expected to surface by the week's end. In the interim, those beyond the Vatican's walls will continue to gaze at that chimney, waiting and watching for the coveted white smoke.
Post-vote Routines
The cardinals retreated to the Vatican guesthouse, Santa Marta, after the unsuccessful first round. Following a brief prayer, they spent their evenings conversing, praying, or reading. They surrendered their mobile phones and digital devices upon entering the house for isolation from the outside world.
The conclave would recommence on the following day, with up to four voting sessions set to take place, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. If a candidate received the requisite two-thirds majority during the initial rounds, further votes would be averted.
The Sistine Chapel's Mysterious Smoke
This conclave marked the largest and most geographically diverse to ever assemble. With Francis promoting a multitude of new leaders during his tenure, a two-thirds majority now required 89 votes. Those within the church speculated that the election could stretch out longer than usual.
The morning saw the cardinals gathered for a solemn mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Cardinals no longer eligible to vote due to age restrictions also participated. The mass, titled "Pro eligendo Romano Pontefice," ("For the Election of the Roman Pontiff"), was led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.
As he addressed the group, Re pleaded for the cardinals to "set aside all personal considerations," urging them to focus solely on the greatest good of the Church and humanity. With the dean unfit for the conclave due to his advanced age, leadership responsibilities fell on the highest-ranking eligible cardinal, the Italian Pietro Parolin.
Controversial Seal off and International Participants
Among the cardinals participating in the conclave are three German cardinals: Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Reinhard Marx, and Rainer Maria Woelki. Speaking to the German Press Agency, Müller admitted he was prepared to remain for "five, six days."
The election of a pope has traditionally unfolded in a matter of one and a half to two days, with the Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis) being elected in 2013 after five rounds of voting. In 2005, it took only four rounds to secure the position for Pope Benedict XVI. Yet, the resignation of Benedict in 2013 and his passing in 2022 have opened the doors for unpredictable twists and turns in this sacred election.
- The European Union and the European Community may find an opportunity to discuss the political implications of the ongoing papal election, as the Vatican's smoke signals hold a significant place in the general-news cycle.
- Despite the papal election being confined within the Vatican walls, the black smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel's chimney could resemble contrails in the skies above, serving as a limit on the anticipation and hopes of millions around the world.
- The European Community could express concern over the prolonged papal election, as theoverline ‘267th pope in two thousand years of church history' could raise questions about the stability and leadership of the Catholic Church in Europe.
- In the midst of the papal election, the cardinals' temporary residence, Santa Martina, could be seen as a chimney of its own, providing a sanctuary for the cardinals to focus on their deliberations, away from the watchful eyes of the papal politics that permeate the European Union and the European Community.
