Cardinals fail to pick new pope in first vote

ROME — Black smoke poured from a chimney at the Vatican's Sistine Chapel late Tuesday, signaling that a new pope had not been elected in the first round of voting by a conclave of cardinals.

The 115 cardinals will reconvene Wednesday and are scheduled to hold four votes each day until two-thirds of their ballots bear the name of the same man.

No new pope was no surprise — a pope has not been elected on the first ballot in centuries.

After each vote, the Vatican will release smoke from a chapel chimney. Black smoke means no two-thirds majority, so no new pope. White smoke means we have a winner. Many hundreds braved the rain and cold in St. Peter's Square on Tuesday to see the almost-inevitable black smoke that signaled the end of Day One of the conclave.

An almost-equal mix of journalists, tourists and locals filled about half of the large circular piazza. Groups of nuns sang songs, children played games and lovers kissed.

Undeterred by the damp chill or inconclusive papal conclave result, Bridget Lyons, 20, said she planned to return daily until the new pope is elected.

"I'm Catholic, so it's important to be here; it's history," the student from Cleveland said. "I wouldn't miss it."

In contrast to the 2005 election that selected Pope Benedict, which came on the heels of a massively attended funeral for John Paul II, the crowds outside were sparse during the day.

Standing closest to the St. Peter's balcony, where the new pope will meet the masses, was the Herrera family from Queretaro, Mexico. In contrast to the throngs of vacationers, they made the trip to Rome solely to see the new pope elected.

"We are Catholics, and this moment means a lot to us," said Monica Herrera, flanked by her husband Ernesto and young daughter, Regina. Behind them hung a Mexican flag. They plan to stake out this prime spot for as long as the conclave lasts in order to be front row when history is made.

"John Paul had a lot of charisma, and Benedict was very scholarly, so the next pope has big shoes to fill," she said. "He'll have to be modern, and have the strength to confront the church's many issues. We are in a moment of crisis now."

As to who might ascend to the throne of St. Peter, Herrera's bet is "on an Italian," she said with a smile. "I think after a German and a Polish pope, they want it back."

Before entering the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals charged with making that decision on behalf of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics attended a special Mass in St Peter's Basilica. In his homily, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, referred to the "beloved and venerated" Benedict XVI and his "brilliant" pontificate.

The cardinals entered the chapel, took their individual oaths of secrecy in Latin. Then came the traditional order of "Extra Omnes" – "Everyone out" – that instructs support staff to leave and signals the official beginning of the conclave.

The cardinals vote in prayerful silence. Although many use social media to connect with the faithful, everything about this historic exercise is old school. Each receives a card with the heading "Eligo In Summum Pontifem," meaning simply "I Elect as Pope." Beneath, they handwrite their choice.

The fact that a pope wasn't picked doesn't mean the conclave's first day was a waste, experts said.

The first day "establishes the spiritual aspects of the conclave," said Matthew Bunson, a religious scholar and author of We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI. "That happens through the procession into the Sistine Chapel and the constant prayers asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit."

But perhaps more significantly, it clued cardinals in to who's trending.

"They learn from that first vote who the leading contenders are and what level of backing they have," said Bunson, noting that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's strong support at the outset of 2005's conclave led to him becoming Pope Benedict in just four ballots.

"If someone gets lots of votes on the first ballot, the momentum could take hold and this could be over quickly," said Thomas Reese, analyst for the National Catholic Reporter, adding that the winner will need two-thirds — or 77 — of the 115 votes. "On the other hand, if someone gets to 60 fast, but then stalls, that could require a lot of negotiations to see who's going to compromise on their candidate."

Reese said what partly paved the way for John Paul II's revolutionary election as a Polish pope was that votes were split between the two leading Italian cardinals, resulting in a winning third path. Although presently Milanese Cardinal Angelo Scola is often mentioned as among the leading "papabili," U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York also received his share of press of late.

But whenever the new pope is elected, spokesman Lombardi warned that it may take a while before the throngs of faithful and tourists waiting in St. Peter's Square see the new pontiff. That's because the next man to sit on the throne of St. Peter plans to stop in the Pauline Chapel to pray before alighting on the balcony to face the masses.

"It could take longer than last time," when it was almost an hour before Pope Benedict appeared, Lombardi said. "Especially if the new pope immerses himself in prayer."

What politicking does occur between balloting sessions will be contained to walks, dinners and late-night chats at the Casa Santa Marta, a five-story building inside the Vatican's imposing walls that houses all of the red-robed electorate. But when there finally is a majority vote, the world will know thanks to smoke signals.

But hey, if you can't be there when the vote comes down, follow @PopeAlarm on Twitter for the results.

Far from the bustle and tourism of the Basilica, retired bus driver Pietro Boccamazzi, 77, goes to church ever day at Rome's St. Anastasia Church. "I love whoever is pope," he said, but added that an Italian pope would be best. "No disrespect disrespect to other nations. But the church is here (in Italy) for a reason."