Hours before the beginning of the conclave that will elect the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, the Vatican released, on Tuesday (6), the schedules of voting and the expected moments for the traditional smoke that signals the results of each round.
. Smoke is expected to be black, indicating that none of the 133 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel has reached the two thirds of the necessary votes (89) to be elected Pope. Never in modern history a pontiff was chosen in the first vote.
From Thursday (8), cardinals will be able to vote up to four times a day, with two rounds in the morning and two in the afternoon. In each shift, a new smoke may appear: white, if there is consensus, or black, if the vote remains indefinite.
See how the smoke schedule will be:
Wednesday (7)-first day of conclave
- 14h (Brasilia): Smoke after the only vote of the day – expectation of black color.
Thursday (8)-second day of conclave
Continues after advertising
- 5:30 am (from Brasilia): First vote of the day. If there is definition, white smoke.
- 7h (from Brasilia): Second vote. Black smoke if there is no consensus.
- 12:30 pm (from Brasilia): Third vote of the day.
- 14h (from Brasilia): Fourth vote. Black or white smoke, depending on the result.
The conclave will be chaired by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, 91, will not preside over the session for reasons of age.
The 252 Cardinals of the Catholic Church met on Tuesday last before the voting process, scheduled for 11:30 am (Brasília time) on Wednesday. Of these, 133 are entitled to vote and will remain isolated in the Sistine Chapel until the choice of the new pontiff.
In the last two conclaves – in 2005 and 2013 – the election was completed in two days. The average duration of the last ten votes is 3.2 days, and no modern conclave took more than five days.
Continues after advertising
Among the cardinals, several are considered papable – names rated for years to the highest post of the church. White smoke, when it arises, will mark the beginning of a new papacy.
