VATICAN CITY � Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signaling an inconclusive first vote by cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel in a conclave to elect a new pope to guide the Roman Catholic Church.
Thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square waiting for smoke to pour from a narrow flue on the roof of the chapel at the end of a day rich in ritual and pageantry, with prelates praying for divine guidance in their secret ballot.
kAm%96 4C@H5D 925 E@ 36 A2E:6?E 2D :E E@@< =@?86C E92? 6IA64E65 7@C E96 D>@<6 E@ 2AA62C[ >@C6 E92? E9C66 9@FCD 27E6C E96 DE2CE @7 E96 4@?4=2G6] %9:D H2D 2? 9@FC >@C6 E92? :E E@@< 7@C D>@<6 E@ 36 D66? 27E6C E96 7:CDE G@E6 :? E96 a_`b 4@?4=2G6 E92E A:4<65 E96 =2E6 !@A6 uC2?4:D]k^Am
kAm(96? 2 A@A6 :D 49@D6?[ H9:E6 D>@<6 H:== 6>6C86[ 3FE E9:D 925 ?@E 366? 6IA64E65 @? (65?6D52J � 2 A@?E:77 92D ?@E 366? A:4<65 @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 2 4@?4=2G6 :? >@56C? E:>6D]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ D@>6 42C5:?2=D D2:5 E9:D H66< E92E E96J 9@A65 E@ HC2A E9:?8D FA 3J %9FCD52J @C uC:52J E@ D9@H E96 r9FC49 42? C6>2:? F?:7:65 27E6C E96 @7E6? 5:G:D:G6[ `a\J62C A2A24J @7 uC2?4:D[ H9@ 5:65 =2DE >@?E9]k^Am
kAm%96 `bb 42C5:?2= 6=64E@CD[ H9@ 2C6 2== @=56C E92? g_[ H:== DA6?5 E96 ?:89E D64=F565 :? @?6 @7 EH@ '2E:42? 8F6DE 9@FD6D H96C6 E96J 42? 4@?E:?F6 E96:C 56=:36C2E:@?D :? 2 >@C6 :?7@C>2= D6EE:?8 367@C6 C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 492A6= @? %9FCD52J >@C?:?8]k^Am
kAmu@==@H:?8 (65?6D52JVD D:?8=6 C@F?5 @7 G@E:?8[ E96 C65\92EE65 QAC:?46D @7 E96 r9FC49Q H:== 9@=5 EH@ G@E6D :? E96 >@C?:?8 D6DD:@? 2?5 EH@ :? E96 27E6C?@@?[ 4@?E:?F:?8 :? 4@>:?8 52JD F?E:= @?6 >2? 92D D64FC65 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 2E =62DE EH@\E9:C5D � gh 42C5:?2=D E9:D E:>6 2C@F?5]k^Am
kAm%96:C @?=J 4@>>F?:42E:@? H:E9 E96 @FED:56 H@C=5 H:== 36 E96 D>@<6 7C@> E96 49:>?6J 2D E96J 3FC? E96:C 4@>A=6E65 32==@E A2A6CD >:I65 H:E9 DA64:2= 496>:42=D � 3=24< H96? 2 G@E:?8 D6DD:@? 6?5D H:E9 ?@ C6DF=E[ H9:E6 H96? 2 A@?E:77 :D 6=64E65]k^Am
kAm|@56C? A2A2= 4@?4=2G6D 2C6 EJA:42==J D9@CE] %96 a_`b 4@?4=2G6 =2DE65 ;FDE EH@ 52JD[ =:<6H:D6 :? a__d H96? E96 AC65646DD@C[ q6?65:4E )'x[ H2D A:4<65]k^Am
kAmx? C646?E 52JD[ 42C5:?2=D 92G6 @776C65 5:776C6?E 2DD6DD>6?ED @7 H92E E96J 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@C :? E96 ?6IE A@?E:77 H9@ H:== =625 E96 `]c\3:==:@?\>6>36C r9FC49]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 D@>6 92G6 42==65 7@C 4@?E:?F:EJ H:E9 uC2?4:DV G:D:@? @7 8C62E6C @A6??6DD 2?5 C67@C>[ @E96CD 92G6 D2:5 E96J H2?E E@ EFC? E96 4=@4< 324< 2?5 6>3C246 @=5 EC25:E:@?D] |2?J 92G6 :?5:42E65 E96J H2?E 2 >@C6 AC65:4E23=6[ >62DFC65 A@?E:7:42E6]k^Am
k9cmVv@@5 @7 E96 49FC49Vk^9cm
kAmx? 2 D6C>@? 29625 @7 E96 4@?4=2G6[ xE2=:2? r2C5:?2= v:@G2??: q2EE:DE2 #6[ H9@ 2E h` :D E@@ @=5 E@ E2<6 A2CE :? E96 G@E6[Â E@=5 9:D 76==@H AC6=2E6D E96J >FDE D6E 2D:56 Q6G6CJ A6CD@?2= 4@?D:56C2E:@?Q :? 49@@D:?8 E96 ?6H A@?E:77 2?5 <66A :? >:?5 Q@?=J ]]] E96 8@@5 @7 E96 r9FC49 2?5 @7 9F>2?:EJ]Qk^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ DF886DE65 E96 ?6IE A@A6 925 E@ C6DA64E 5:G6CD:EJ H:E9:? E96 r9FC49] Q&?:EJ 5@6D ?@E >62? F?:7@C>:EJ[ 3FE 2 7:C> 2?5 AC@7@F?5 4@>>F?:@? :? 5:G6CD:EJ[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$@>6 F=EC24@?D6CG2E:G6D 925 3C2?565 uC2?4:D 2D 2 96C6E:4[ 244FD:?8 9:> @7 36:?8 E@@ H6=4@>:?8 E@ E96 {vq% 4@>>F?:EJ[ E@@ 244@>>@52E:?8 E@ !C@E6DE2?ED 2?5 |FD=:>D 2?5 E@@ @A6? @? 2 C2?86 @7 E@A:4D[ :?4=F5:?8 @776C:?8 4@>>F?:@? 7@C E96 5:G@C465]k^Am
kAm}@ 4=62C 72G@C:E6 92D 6>6C865[ 2=E9@F89 xE2=:2? r2C5:?2= !:6EC@ !2C@=:? 2?5 u:=:A:?@ r2C5:?2= {F:D p?E@?:@ %28=6 2C6 4@?D:56C65 E96 7C@?E\CF??6CD]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ :7 :E BF:4<=J 364@>6D @3G:@FD E92E ?6:E96C 42? H:?[ G@E6D 2C6 =:<6=J E@ D9:7E E@ @E96C 4@?E6?56CD[ H:E9 E96 6=64E@CD A@DD:3=J 4@2=6D4:?8 2C@F?5 86@8C2A9J[ 5@4EC:?2= 277:?:EJ @C 4@>>@? =2?8F286D]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 @E96C A@E6?E:2= 42?5:52E6D 2C6 uC2?46VD y62?\|2C4 pG6=:?6[ wF?82CJVD !6E6C tC5@[ p>6C:42? #@36CE !C6G@DE 2?5 xE2=JVD !:6C32EE:DE2 !:KK232==2]k^Am
kAmp C64@C5 `bb 42C5:?2=D 7C@> f_ 4@F?EC:6D 6?E6C65 E96 $:DE:?6 r92A6=[ FA 7C@> ``d 7C@> cg ?2E:@?D :? E96 =2DE 4@?4=2G6 :? a_`b —� 8C@HE9 E92E C67=64ED 677@CED 3J uC2?4:D 5FC:?8 9:D `a\J62C C6:8? E@ 6IE6?5 E96 86@8C2A9:42= C6249 @7 E96 r9FC49]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96:C 4@?D:56C2E:@?D H:== 36 H96E96C E96J D9@F=5 D66< 2 A@A6 7C@> E96 8=@32= $@FE9 H96C6 4@?8C682E:@?D 2C6 8C@H:?8[ 2D E96J 5:5 :? a_`b H:E9 uC2?4:D[ 7C@> pC86?E:?2[ @C 92?5 324< E96 C6:?D E@ tFC@A6[ @C 6G6? A:4< 2 7:CDE &]$] A@A6]k^Am
kAm{2E:? 492?ED 2?5 @C82? >FD:4 244@>A2?:65 E96 42C5:?2=D 2D E96J AC@46DD65 :?E@ E96 7C6D4@65 $:DE:?6 r92A6= 367@C6 E96 4@?4=2G6 3682?[ H:E9 |:496=2?86=@VD 56A:4E:@? @7 r9C:DE 56=:G6C:?8 E96 {2DE yF58>6?E 5@>:?2E:?8 E96 d__\J62C\@=5 C@@>]k^Am
kAm%96J =2:5 E96:C 92?5D @? E96 v@DA6=D[ E2<:?8 2 G@H @7 D64C64J ?@E E@ 5:GF=86 2?JE9:?8 23@FE E96:C 82E96C:?8]Â k^Am
kAmpC493:D9@A s:68@ #2G6==:[ E96 '2E:42?VD >2DE6C @7 46C6>@?:6D[ E96? AC@?@F?465 E96 {2E:? 4@>>2?5 QtIEC2 @>?6DPQ WtG6CJ@?6 @FEPX E6==:?8 E9@D6 ?@E :?G@=G65 :? E96 82E96C:?8 E@ =62G6 E96 C@@>[ H:E9 E96 492A6=VD 962GJ H@@56? 5@@CD D=2>>:?8 D9FE @? E96 @FED:56 H@C=5]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D ?@E >62?E E@ 36 2?J 5:D4FDD:@? :? E96 G@E:?8 D6DD:@?D 3FE A2DE 6IA6C:6?46 DF886DED E96C6 H:== 36 A=6?EJ @7 4@G6CE 42>A2:8?:?8 5FC:?8Â 3C62<D 2?5 >62=D 2D E96 ?2>6D @7 QA2A23:=:Q C:D6 2?5 72== :? DF446DD:G6 32==@ED]k^Am
