VATICAN CITY — The conclave to elect the next pope began Wednesday morning, and by the afternoon, black smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling no new leader had been chosen in the first vote.
One hundred thirty-three cardinals are participating in this secretive, centuries-old ritual after Pope Francis passed away at age 88 on April 21. Cardinals over the age of 80 are not eligible to vote.
The voting process will continue four times a day— until a two-thirds majority emerges. Only then will white smoke appear from the chimney, alerting the crowds watching in St. Peter’s Square of a new pope.
“What emerges in this first vote today are the numbers, who received a significant number of votes and who didn't,” said Chris Pramuk, chair of Ignatian Thought and Imagination at Regis University. “They're sworn to secrecy, but it tells the cardinals themselves, sort of, where things stand.”
Pramuk said secrecy is part of reform over centuries to encourage an efficient and shorter conclave free of any political external pressures.
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When the conclave begins, the cardinals are stripped of all cell phones and computers, televisions and radios are removed, and their rooms are swept for electronic devices. They are then locked into the Sistine Chapel.
Pramuk said there is very little discussion during the conclave, with most deliberation occurring during a series of 12 general congregations after Pope Francis’ death. That was when the cardinals could stand and deliver comments for about five minutes.
“They want to kind of lay out what they feel is important in terms of the future vision of the church,” Pramuk said.
During each round of voting, the cardinals write the name of the person they wish to elect on a ballot, fold it in half, say a prayer, and then drop the ballot into an urn in front of the Sistine Chapel. Three cardinals, chosen randomly as “scrutineers,” record and total the ballots. Then the scrutineers burn the ballots, adding special chemicals to make the smoke black or white.
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This conclave is the most geographically diverse in the Catholic Church’s history, with cardinals representing 70 countries. Pope Francis named 108 of the 133 cardinals voting, selecting individuals from countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga — nations that had never had a cardinal before.
“Francis was really big on the church reaching out to the peripheries, to those who typically are not seen, are not acknowledged,” Pramuk said. “Absolutely, that brings a different lens, a different perspective from a traditionally Eurocentric church.”
Pramuk expects the voting to last two or three days before a new pope is chosen. The cardinals may take a break for the weekend on Friday but will remain sequestered.
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