VATICAN CITY — The first day of the conclave to elect the 267th Pope ended without a decision, as black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening.
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| Photo courtesy: Vatican News |
The smoke, a centuries-old signal, indicated that the initial ballot had concluded without the election of a new Pope. Earlier in the evening, anticipation had built among the estimated 45,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, many of whom had begun waiting shortly after 7:00 p.m.
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Among the crowd was Deacon Nicholas Nkoronko from Tanzania, who shared his reflections with Vatican News: “Our role here is to pray and to join with other Christians, other Catholics, to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the whole process,” he said.
Deacon Nkoronko emphasized that the new Pontiff’s origin is secondary to his spiritual leadership: “Wherever the new Pope comes from—whether it’s Africa, Asia, America—what we need is a holy Pope. We need a Pope who will guide the Church and be its pastor.”
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The conclave will reconvene on Thursday for further ballots, as the College of Cardinals continues its solemn task of selecting a new spiritual leader for the Roman Catholic Church.
— The Summit Express
