The Roman Catholic cardinals charged with electing the next pontiff were gathering in Vatican City for a second day Thursday, seeking the two-thirds majority required to name a successor to Pope Francis.
∎ Day 2 begins with Mass at in the Pauline Chapel, followed by a midmorning prayer in the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals are shut off from the world for the secretive voting that will result in new leadership for the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
∎ Two votes are allowed in the morning. If no pope is elected the cardinals take a lengthy lunch break.
∎ The cardinals then return and can vote twice more. If no one is elected, they are expected to wrap up for the day at about 7:30 p.m. local time − 1:30 p.m. ET.
Black smoke rose from Vatican on first day
The second day of the conclave came after the first vote Wednesday failed to name a successor to Francis Darkness had already fallen over Rome on Wednesday when black smoke rose from the chimney of the iconic Sistine Chapel, watched by thousands in a packed St. Peter’s Square.
Some traditions are timeless − black smoke from the chimney after a vote means no candidate has received the necessary votes. White smoke means a new pope has been elected.
And the ban on communicating with outsiders, which dates to medieval times, remains. Nowadays, however, the Vatican has taken high-tech measures to ensure secrecy. No cellphones are allowed, and the technology sweep of the chapel takes place to ensure there are no recording devices. Jamming devices are also used.
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Some of the cardinals frequently mentioned as candidates to succeed Francis include non-Italians Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, of the Philippines, a liberal sometimes referred to as “Francis 2,” France’s Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille, and Peter Erdo, 72, of Hungary, who is considered a favorite among the more conservative cardinals.
There have been 266 popes, and 217 of the have been Italian. Italy has strong contenders this time, too, including cardinals Pietro Parolin, 70, the Vatican Secretary of State who is considered a moderate, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, the patriarch of Jerusalem who once offered to become a hostage of Hamas in return for the release of children, and Matteo Zuppi, 69, a close associate of Francis.
Who is electing the pope?
There are more than 250 cardinals, but they must be younger than 80 to serve as electors. Still, a record 133 cardinals from 70 countries are casting votes, up from 115 from 48 nations for the 2013 conclave that elected Francis. The increase in cardinals is a function of Francis’ efforts to expand the reach of the church, and one result is that 80% of current cardinals were appointed by him.
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How long does a conclave usually last?
Up to four rounds of voting can take place each day. There is no set time limit for the conclave, but recent conclaves have lasted only a few days. Since 1846, cardinals have taken two to five days to make decisions on the past 12 popes.
It was not always that fast. After Pope Clement IV died in November 1268, cardinals met in Viterbo, Italy, about 68 miles from Rome, for almost three years. The eventual winner, Gregory X, tightened up conclave rules. The longest conclave in modern times, in 1903, ended when Pope Pius X was chosen after five days.
US Cardinal Dolan on why conclave could take time
A day before electors were sequestered to begin the conclave, an American cardinal shed light on the secretive process of electing a new pope, saying this one could take three or four days in part because there are many worthy candidates.
New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, one of 10 U.S. cardinals participating in the vote, told SiriusXM’s Catholic Channel on Tuesday that participants consult with each other to learn more about contenders they might not know well.
“We’re not horse trading here,’’ Dolan said. “We’re saying, ‘Tell me about this guy. You’re from Latin America. Go through the list of bishops. Tell me some of these fellas. Am I right to be enchanted by this guy?’”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Conclave live updates: Cardinals have 4 chances to elect a pope today
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