Cardinals Conclave to Elect New Pope Continues

Cardinals from 70 countries gathered in St. Peter's Basilica for a final Mass before entering the conclave to elect the next pope. The 133 cardinals will be sequestered inside the Vatican, surrendering their cellphones and isolated from the outside world until a new pontiff is elected. Many of the cardinals had not met before and expressed the need for more time to get to know one another, potentially prolonging the process of securing a two-thirds majority to become the 267th pope.

Cardinal David, one of three Filipino cardinals participating in the conclave to choose the next pope, was appointed by Pope Francis despite being a relatively junior bishop. He personifies Pope Francis's legacy in the Philippines, having spent his life campaigning for the poor and marginalized. Cardinal David faced a significant test during former President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs," when he openly criticized the campaign as illegal and immoral, receiving death threats and sedition charges. Pope Francis backed him during this time, offering a special blessing and urging him to stay safe. The Philippines has a significant Catholic population, and the church has a complex history in the country, having evolved from a powerful institution tied to colonial rule to a influential player with an uneasy relationship with power. Cardinal David's experience and Pope Francis's support for him reflect the changing role of the church in the Philippines, where it is facing challenges from politicians and newer charismatic churches.

The first day of the conclave to choose a new pope ended without a decision, indicated by black smoke emerging from the Sistine Chapel's chimney at around 9pm local time after the 133 cardinals inside failed to reach a majority. Cardinals will return on Thursday morning for more rounds of voting. Tens of thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square to await the results, which took over two hours to announce.

Catholic cardinal electors from six continents gathered at the Vatican for the 2025 conclave to select a new pope, following the death of 88-year-old Pope Francis 16 days prior. After the first round of voting, black smoke was seen rising from the Sistine Chapel, indicating that no candidate had received the required two-thirds-plus-one vote. The 133 cardinal electors will resume the process on Thursday morning, with a signal of white smoke to be sent up the chimney once a new pope is chosen. The cardinals took an oath of secrecy before the conclave began and were expected to hold multiple rounds of voting before selecting a new pontiff.

The Catholic Church has never had an American pope, but Cardinal Robert Prevost's name has emerged as a potential candidate to succeed Pope Francis. According to Bishop Robert Barron, one reason for the lack of an American pope may be that the Vatican doesn't want the US to have too much influence over the church. Prevost, who is the head of the Dicastery for Bishops and has dual US and Peruvian citizenship, is seen as a centrist with progressive views on social issues, such as embracing marginalized groups, but conservative on church doctrine, such as opposing the ordination of women as deacons.

American Catholics visiting Rome for the papal conclave expressed their hopes for the next pope, with some believing the Holy Spirit will guide the election and others seeing it as a political process. A CBS News poll found 42% of American Catholics want the next pope to continue Pope Francis' teachings, and many desire a pope who will unite the faith and address the world's issues. The poll also showed a majority support priests being allowed to marry, women being ordained as priests, and the use of birth control, although views are divided between regular and infrequent churchgoers. The conclave is set to begin on Wednesday with 133 cardinal electors, and a new pope is expected to be elected within two to three days.

The world is waiting for a new pope as the conclave has begun at the Vatican, where 133 cardinals are meeting to select a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month at 88. The papal conclave is a centuries-old tradition that is as suspenseful as it is secretive. The cardinals have taken an oath of secrecy and begun voting in the Sistine Chapel, with the results revealed only by the color of the smoke emitted from the chimney - black for no pope chosen and white for a successful election. The first vote took place on Wednesday, resulting in black smoke, and up to four votes can take place daily until a new pope is chosen, requiring a two-thirds majority. The conclave is expected to be one of the most diverse in history, with many cardinals appointed by Pope Francis from developing countries. Once a new pope is elected, he will be introduced to the world from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where he will deliver his first apostolic blessing.

Cardinal electors have reconvened for the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope after the first round of voting on Wednesday ended without a result, indicated by black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney. The 133 voting cardinals will hold multiple votes throughout the day, requiring a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope. The conclave started on Wednesday after the cardinals took an oath of secrecy and were sealed off from the outside world. The process is expected to continue until a new pope is chosen, with the cardinals voting twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.

The article discusses the potential candidates to succeed Pope Francis following his death. The papal conclave, comprising 133 cardinal electors, will choose the new leader of the Catholic Church. The successful candidate must secure two-thirds of the votes. Potential contenders include Pietro Parolin, an Italian cardinal and Vatican's secretary of state, seen as a frontrunner; Matteo Zuppi, an Italian cardinal and archbishop of Bologna, known for his progressive views; Luis Tagle, a Filipino cardinal with decades of experience, who could be the first Asian pope; Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, a Congolese cardinal and conservative candidate; Peter Erdo, a Hungarian cardinal and conservative theologian; Pierbattista Pizzaballa, an Italian cardinal and head of the Vatican's Latin office in Jerusalem; and Peter Turkson, a Ghanaian cardinal with extensive pastoral experience. The next pope may be Italian, African, or Asian, and their stance on issues like LGBTQ+, women's roles, and war is uncertain, potentially being more progressive or conservative.

The 133 Roman Catholic cardinals reconvened for their second day of deliberation to elect a new pope, following an inconclusive first day of voting on Wednesday. The cardinals are sequestered in the Sistine Chapel without phones or internet access, and under oaths of total secrecy, until two-thirds of them agree on a candidate. The conclave's outcome is uncertain, with the church facing strained finances, difficult decisions about its direction, and a reckoning over past sexual abuse scandals. The cardinals will participate in four rounds of voting daily until a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority, with the ballots burned after two rounds and the smoke signaling whether a decision has been made. Two top contenders are Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, with the election potentially serving as a referendum on Pope Francis' path of openness and inclusion. The conclave's duration is unpredictable, with past selections lasting from a few hours to nearly three years, although recent conclaves have been much shorter, with Pope Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI being elected within two days.

The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church gathered for a conclave to choose the 267th successor of St. Peter, a process that is both political and deeply theological. The keys of St. Peter, a symbol of papal authority, are central to the papacy, representing the power Jesus gave to Peter to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. The keys have been interpreted in various ways throughout history, initially as a symbol of forgiveness and salvation, and later as a sign of papal authority and sovereignty over territory. The new pope will inherit this symbolic authority, which is seen as a moral and spiritual power that transcends earthly power, and will be expected to wield it as a service to the Church, rather than as a form of domination.

The College of Cardinals has begun the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, with 133 cardinal electors casting four rounds of votes. On the first day, the cardinals ended with black smoke, indicating that they had not reached a two-thirds majority. The conclave is the largest and most diverse in history, with cardinals from nearly 80 countries, including some from countries that have not had a voice before. Pope Francis, who died after a 12-year pontificate, had diversified the College of Cardinals, adding representation from places such as Haiti, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The cardinals will continue to vote until a new pope is elected, with white smoke signaling a successful election. The process is expected to take potentially less than a week, and the last two popes were elected on the second day of the conclave.

The Washington Post is tracking the papal conclave in Rome where 133 cardinals are gathering to elect the 267th pope following the death of Pope Francis. The conclave began with one ballot on the first day, and up to four ballots are expected on subsequent days until a candidate wins a two-thirds majority. The cardinal electors, all under 80 years old, convene in the Sistine Chapel and submit secret ballots. Black smoke signals indicate that no pope has been elected, while white smoke will signal the successful election of a new pope. Historically, papal conclaves usually take less than a week, with some exceptions, such as the 1831 conclave that took 50 days to elect Gregory XVI. The new pope will be the leader of the Catholic Church's 1.4 billion worshipers and will choose a new papal name upon election.