After entering the Sistine Chapel this Wednesday, May 7, the cardinals proceeded to the first election of the Successor of Pierre. They said the result of this first vote by black smoke: no cardinal collected on his name the 89 votes necessary to access the throne of Pierre.
Jean-Benoît Harel-Vatican City
The waiting of the faithful seemed to them endless. They were 45,000 people to look up with the fireplace for more than three hours after the “Outside all». At 9 p.m., the black smoke raised from the small fireplace which protrudes from the Sistine Chapel, to the left of the Saint-Pierre basilica, this Wednesday, May 7. No pope was therefore chosen by the college of the 133 cardinals voters at the end of this first ballot.
After the procession of the Pauline chapel at the Sistine Chapel at 4.30 p.m., the cardinals invoked the Holy Spirit with the song of Come creator, Then pronounced the oath, each in turn, hand on the Gospel, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution The universe dominic of the flock promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1996.
It was then that the master of pontifical ceremonies, Mgr Diego Ravelli, said the famous “Outside all», «All outsideIn French. With him, only the former preacher of the pontifical house, the Italian cardinal non-elector Raniero Cantalamessa remained for a preaching just before going out, to make way for the first voting round.
Thousands of faithful Place Saint-Pierre
On Place Saint-Pierre, several thousand faithful followed the ceremony on giant screens. Flags of all colors were placed on security barriers, some of which represent the nationalities of cardinals voters, from more than 70 countries. All fixed the fireplace from which white smoke raised in a feverish atmosphere.
For the first result of this 76 votee Conclave, the cardinals voted by secret bulletin, before the counting. No name having obtained two thirds of the votes from the cardinals, or 89 votes, the bulletins were burned in the cast iron stove. In order to increase the visibility of smoke, a second, more modern stove has been used since 2005, with kinds of smoke bombs. This black smoke is caused by several components, including potassium perchlorate, anthorane and sulfur for a total of around 7 minutes.
Another sign, the bells of the basilica did not sound, as when it is planned during the election of a new sovereign pontiff. This vote is not a surprise, since since 1878, since the conclave has been installed in the Sistine Chapel, the first smoke of the Conclave has always been black.
The program of Thursday, May 8
After this initial vote, the cardinals joined the Sainte-Marthe residence, on the other side of the Vatican, for dinner and to spend the first night of conclave.
Thursday, May 8, the Cardinals have an appointment at 8:15 am to participate in the mass and the Ludes office in the Pauline chapel. An hour later, at 9:15 am, the voters of the sovereign pontiff will have to vote twice (in the event of non-election in the first ballot), after having sang the third party. They will then return for lunch at the Sainte-Marthe residence, before proceeding to two ballot laps again from 4.30 p.m.
As soon as a name will collect more than two-thirds of the Cardinalice college, the long-awaited white smoke will come out of the fireplace, then about an hour later, the new pope will greet the crowd from the lodge of the Saint-Pierre basilica, in white outfit.
