Black Smoke Emerges From Sistine Chapel

Black smoke rose from the Vatican's Sistine Chapel Tuesday, indicating that Roman Catholic cardinals had not elected a new pope in the first vote of their secret conclave.

The black smoke was seen by thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square and means the 115 cardinals will hold a new round of voting on Wednesday morning.

They will remain sequestered behind the Vatican's mediaeval walls until they elect a successor to Pope Benedict, who abdicated last month.

When the cardinals agree on a pontiff, white smoke will rise
 from the makeshift chimney on the chapel roof and the bells of St Peter's basilica will peal.

The scarlet-robed cardinals filed into the chapel earlier Tuesday led by prelates holding a crucifix and candles as they chanted the traditional Litany of Saints, imploring for help in choosing the next pope.

Once inside, each cardinal swore an oath of secrecy requiring, under pain of excommunication, that they reveal nothing of their deliberations for the duration of the secret conclave that could last for several days.

The group will remain secluded from the outside world until a new pope is elected.

The world will know when the Church has a new leader when white smoke billows from a special chimney installed on the chapel roof.  The new pope must receive at least 77 of the 115 cardinals' votes -- a two-thirds majority. There is no clear favorite.


Vatican spokesperson Father Thomas Rosica said the process is a spiritual one.

"Because all of this is about spirituality and prayer. It's rooted in the world, so it's got the earthly part of it," Rosica said. "But this is about bringing people to God. And the Pope is a Pontifex. He is a bridge who brings people to God. And so we're trying to elect somebody who will be a good bridge and a bridge builder."

Molly Silbernagel is an American studying in Rome.

"I'm Catholic and I've been thinking a lot about it. There's a lot of speculation about who it's going to be," she said. "They're saying maybe a guy who is interested in science. There is one particular Cardinal who used to be a scientist, who does a lot with the sciences. They are thinking maybe he would be a good candidate because he would bridge the gap between the Church and science."

Pope Benedict surprised the world last month when, after eight years, he became the first Roman Catholic Church leader in 600 years to step down voluntarily.

When not in the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals will be housed in a Vatican residence hall with no television and no telephone access.  The Catholic News Service reports that some cardinals housed on higher floors may even have to keep their shutters closed to block any view of the streets of Rome outside Vatican walls.

Some Vatican observers say the Church is badly in need of reform after the child sex scandal and what they see as a growing irrelevancy of Church doctrine.  They predict the cardinals will elect a younger pope. But the experts also say the more traditional-minded cardinals will push for a conservative.

The first possible smoke sighting from the Sistine Chapel chimney could emerge around 7:00 p.m. local time.  However, a vote taken late Tuesday is likely to be inconclusive because of the lack of a frontrunner.



fuente: La Voz de América,   http://www.voanews.com/content/cardinals-gather-to-choose-new-pope/1619791.html

Comentarios

Entradas populares de este blog

Las 3 banderas de Chile

FALLECE ROY GARBER, UNO DE LOS PROTAGONISTAS DE LA SERIE “GUERRA DE ENVÍOS” EN A&E

Historia de la ex Escuela Alemana de Llanquihue