Black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney in Vatican City, signalling that the first round of voting by Catholic cardinals failed to produce a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday at age 88.
More than 100,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square to witness the moment, though confusion arose as some mistook the dark smoke for the election of a new pontiff.
The 133 voting cardinals, including Australia’s youngest Cardinal Mykola Bychok, are now sequestered inside the Vatican, voting in secrecy until a two-thirds majority is reached.
With four ballots and two smoke signals scheduled daily, Vatican watchers anticipate several rounds before consensus is reached—mirroring past conclaves, including those that elected John Paul II and Benedict XVI after multiple days of voting.
Source: The Australian.
