Scottish Catholic Observer

The next round of voting to elect a new Pope is taking place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel this afternoon.

The cardinal electors will, once again, cast their votes, after this morning’s two sessions failed to muster majority support for a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, who retired from his role as Vicar of Christ last month.

If the cardinals reach a decision in the next conclave ballot, Vatican watchers can expect white smoke between 4.30 to 5pm GMT today. If there is still no clear decision after the first vote this afternoon (fourth vote so far), the next smoke signal from the conclave would shift to 5.30-6pm GMT.

After black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney this morning (below), Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican press officer, said that the voting being inconclusive at this stage—after yesterday evening’s opening session was followed by this morning’s two votes—is not a great surprise.

“It’s more or less what we expected,” Fr Lombardi said after the first three ballots.

He added that, in relatively recent times, only Pope Pius XII, whose Papacy spanned the Second World War and lasted from 1939 to 1958, had been chosen on the third ballot.

Fr Lombardi also confirmed that there are no plans in place for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to attend the inaugural Mass for his successor.

Although, at this stage, there is no clear indication as to how long it will take for a new Pope to be elected, Fr Lombardi said that, as far as a potential date for an installation ceremony is concerned, speculation on next Tuesday—the feast day of St Joseph—was a ‘good hypothesis.’

As the world’s Catholics await the announcement of their new leader, US President Barack Obama has said that a Pope from the US would preside just as effectively as a Pope from any other country.

President Obama also spoke about his, at times, thorny relationship with the Catholic Church when questioned about whether or not a Pope from the US would have to take orders from him.

“My hope is—based on what I know about the Catholic Church and the terrific work that they have done around the world and certainly in this country, and helping those who are less fortunate—is that you have a Pope who sustains and maintains what I consider the central message of the Gospel,” the US President said. “And that is that we treat everybody as children of God and that we love them the way Jesus Christ taught us to love them.”

Voting for the election of the new Holy Father will continue this afternoon and onwards—with up to two rounds each morning and afternoon—until the 115 cardinal electors reach a two-thirds majority of 77 votes.

At that point, white smoke will billow forth from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St Peter’s Basilica will peal, telling the world’s one billion-plus Catholics of a new leader.

After the black smoke this morning, one journalist asked for Fr Lombardi’s thoughts on a more lighthearted matter: A feminist group’s attempt at provocation by going topless in St Peter’s Square.

“As far as the feminist group [Pink Smoke] is concerned, well, it is not my particular concern—it seems clear to me that the folks who were in St Peter’s Square were rather concerned with seeing the smoke,” Fr Lombardi said. “[If] they continue to think it well to come here and make this sort of manifestation, I hope they don’t catch cold, because it is very chilly in this period.”

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