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White Smoke in the Vatican, Cardinals Have Chosen the New Pope
16 minutes ago
by:G B
Catholic cardinals have chosen the successor to Pope Francis, as white smoke was seen coming out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday a few minutes after 6:00 p.m., after the third vote in the conclave. Now the world is expected to understand who the 267th leader of the Catholic Church will be and what name he will bear during his leadership. His presentation to the world will be made from the Vatican balcony, when one of the cardinals will say the words "habemus papam [we have a new pope]" and then the new leader of the Catholic Church will address the world.
But in the evening, black smoke rose from the chimney on the roof of the chapel, indicating that no new pope was elected in the first ballot. Black smoke was also seen from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the first two ballots on Thursday. White smoke indicates that the Catholic Church has chosen a new leader, who will replace Pope Francis, who died last month. No pope has been elected on the first day of the council, known as a secret conclave, for centuries. Cardinals have given varying assessments in recent days about what they are looking for in a future pope.While some have called for a continuation of Francis’ vision of more reform and openness, others have called for a return to old traditions. Many have expressed a desire for a more predictable and measured papacy. A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries entered the Sistine Chapel, compared with 115 from 48 countries in the 2013 conclave — an increase that reflects Francis’ efforts to expand the church’s influence in remote regions with few Catholics. As in medieval times, cardinals during the conclave were prohibited from communicating with the outside world during the conclave, and the Vatican has taken high-tech measures to ensure secrecy, including signal-jamming devices to prevent eavesdropping. The average length of the last ten conclaves has been just over three days, and none has lasted longer than five days. The 2013 conclave lasted just two days.
While some have called for a continuation of Francis’ vision of more reform and openness, others have called for a return to old traditions. Many have expressed a desire for a more predictable and measured papacy. A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries entered the Sistine Chapel, compared with 115 from 48 countries in the 2013 conclave — an increase that reflects Francis’ efforts to expand the church’s influence in remote regions with few Catholics. As in medieval times, cardinals during the conclave were prohibited from communicating with the outside world during the conclave, and the Vatican has taken high-tech measures to ensure secrecy, including signal-jamming devices to prevent eavesdropping. The average length of the last ten conclaves has been just over three days, and none has lasted longer than five days. The 2013 conclave lasted just two days.
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