World awaits smoke as election of new Pope begins

The 133 cardinals who will elect Pope Francis’ successor have made their way from the Pauline Chapel to the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City as the secretive process begins.

Today’s events began with the “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” mass at 10 am, which means “for the election of the Roman Pontiff.” At 5:30 pm, a procession by cardinals begun from the Pauline Chapel to the Sistine Chapel for the conclave.

It is in the famous Sistine Chapel that the election of the new pope will take place – and have done so since the 15th Century. As they walked, the cardinals were singing the “Litany of the Saints,” calling on more than 100 Catholic saints to pray for them.

At the head of the procession was the cross and two candles; at the back was Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli, Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations. The cardinals passed through the Apostolic Palace and later entered the Sistine Chapel, where the process of electing a new pope is currently taking place.

After entering, they sang “Veni, creator Spiritus,” an ancient hymn pleading for the Holy Spirit to enter and dwell in their hearts and minds. This hymn is over 1,000 years old and is at the heart of the Catholic Church.

The cardinals later took a collective oath to observe “with the greatest fidelity… secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff.”

Then, one by one, in order of seniority, the cardinals swore with an individual oath.

“And I… do promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand,” each will say.

First to swear the individual oath was Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy, who oversaw the procession to the Sistine Chapel. The oath of secrecy is one of the final acts the world saw before the Sistine Chapel entered “extra omnes” and closed its doors.

The world will now turn their eyes on the chimney for the smoke, a signal for the election of a new Pope. After the voting has taken place, the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square – and those watching around the world – will wait for the moment smoke comes out of the Sistine Chapel chimney.

Black smoke means more voting will take place tomorrow, while white means we have a new pope. The first smoke signal is expected between 7:45 and 8:15 p.m. local time.

However, the earliest a new Pope is expected to be elected is Thursday. In subsequent days, the cardinals may vote up to four times a day twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon with the ballots burned at most twice daily.

The electors were allowed to take in written materials and, in the days leading up to the conclave, were offered a book on their fellow cardinals, one which contains a clear message.

Titled “The College of Cardinals Report,” it offers profiles on around 40 papal candidates, including a breakdown on where they stand on topics such as same-sex blessings, ordaining female deacons and the church’s teaching on contraception, CNN reported Cardinal Giovanni Re, the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals, is presiding over the election but is ineligible to vote due to age.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Vatican secretary of state since early in Francis’ papacy will administer the oath of secrecy and once a candidate receives more than two-thirds of the votes, he will then be responsible for asking him: “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” and “By what name do you wish to be called?”

Before entering the conclave, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, asked Catholics to keep him and the other cardinal electors in their prayers. Dolan is among the 133 cardinals who have entered the locked-down Sistine Chapel, where they will be sequestered until a new pope is chosen.

During the conclave, cardinals stay in the Santa Marta residence at the Vatican.

“I won’t be able to talk to you until you see the white smoke,” Dolan said in a video on X, referring to the smoke that will billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel when the cardinals have agreed on a new pope.

All mobile phone signals were deactivated at the Vatican today ahead of the conclave, Italian state media reported. The Vatican also plans to use signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel to prevent electronic surveillance or communication outside the conclave that will see 133 cardinals vote on who will succeed Pope Francis and lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Italian news agency ANSA reported.