Cardinals do not choose a new Pope on the first day of the complaint

Cardinals do not choose a new Pope on the first day of the complaint

On Wednesday, black smoke rose from the Sistine chapel fireplace, which meant that the cardinals on the first day of the Konklaves have not chosen a new pope.

The current status of the pope election

There is currently not a clear favorite . The cardinals will continue to choose in a series of secret votes on Thursday until they are a successor for Pope Francis Determine .

cardinals in exile

The 133 cardinals entitled to vote return to the Santa Marta residence within the Vatican, where they remain isolated. In the meantime, the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide must continue to wait, without indications of their future leader.

Sweizing vow of cardinals

The cardinals have taken a oath of secrecy and given their electronic devices to the communication outside of the conclusion. Your cell phones and devices will only be returned to you after the conclusion ended. A break of the oath leads to automatic excommunication from the church.

The interest of the public

In front of the Sistine chapel, tens of thousands of people gathered to observe the smoke signs that rose out of the burning voices, although it would be exceptional that a new Pope was chosen after the first vote in the conclave. The last two popes, Benedict XVI. And Francis, were appointed on the second day of election. Before that, John Paul II was elected on the third day.

The way to the election

In the next three days, up to four votes will be held per day - two in the morning and two in the afternoon. If no new Pope has been elected until the fifth day that falls on a Sunday, the cardinals will receive a break from choosing to pray, think quietly and have informal conversations.

positions in the conclave

This conclave will probably be a competition between those who want to continue the reforms and visions of the late Pope Francis, and those who strive for a return to a more traditional papacy. Two different groups of cardinals form under the motto "unity", which want a predictable papacy, and "diversity" who favor someone who follows the footsteps of Francis.

a background full of challenges

The conclave takes place against the background of the abuse scandals within the church, which have shaken the Catholic Church and consider it necessary by many church members to be approached by profound reforms.

favorites for the successor

There is no official list of papal candidates, but some cardinals are traded as favorites - the Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio "Chito" Tagle, the American cardinal Robert Prevost and the Italian cardinal Pietro parolin, the former Vatican State Secretary.

unpredictability by reforms

A large part of the unpredictability can be traced back to the realignment of the Cardinal College by Francis. Its appointments better reflect the universal church and break with the old, unofficial rules, according to which a bishop of a certain diocese was automatically given the red hat. However, this also means that many cardinals do not know each other well and had to wear name tags in front of the conclave.

This article is continuously updated to provide further details.