On the first day of the conclave, plumes of black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the 133 cardinals inside had failed to elect a new pope. The long-awaited moment followed the formal procession and the oath of secrecy that each cardinal swore before voting began at 5:45 pm local time. After hours of anticipation, the smoke appeared at 9:05 pm, to loud applause from a crowd of over 45,000 people gathered below.
Anticipation in St. Peter’s Square
Despite expectations that the first day would not see a decision, St. Peter’s Square was packed with eager onlookers. Among them was Cinzia Caporali from Tuscany, who recalled her experience during the election of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. She remembered hearing shouts of “Fatto, fatto, fatto!” (It’s done) as the white smoke signaled the end of the conclave, which was one of the fastest papal elections in history. This time, Caporali hoped for a continuation of Pope Francis’s focus on marginalized people and his stand against the church’s wealth, a theme that was echoed in the pre-conclave mass.
Giovanni Battista Re’s Message to the Cardinals
During the pre-conclave mass on Wednesday morning, Giovanni Battista Re, the Italian cardinal who led Pope Francis’s funeral mass, called for a pope chosen with “maximum responsibility.” Re urged the cardinals to cast aside personal considerations and to be guided by love in their decision-making. He emphasized that love was “the only force capable of changing the world,” setting the tone for the upcoming deliberations.
Challenges in Choosing a Successor to Pope Francis
Finding a successor to Pope Francis is no easy task, with the college of cardinals being diverse and divided. Some cardinals favor the progressive changes Francis made during his papacy, while others are seeking to reverse his reforms. As the conclave progresses, there is a desire among the cardinals to avoid prolonged deliberations, as they do not wish to present the image of a divided church. The initial focus has been on issues such as evangelization, the church’s finances, clerical sexual abuse, and service to the poor and migrants.
The Role of Women in the Church
Notably absent from the pre-conclave discussions was the issue of the role of women in the church. This is a subject that Pope Francis championed during his papacy, though he remained firm in his stance that women could never be ordained as priests. In response, women’s groups have organized protests. On the eve of the conclave, bursts of pink smoke filled the air above Gianicolo hill, a peaceful demonstration by the Catholic Women’s Ordination group. Miriam Duignan, who led the protest, expressed the group’s frustration with the exclusion of women from key decisions in the church, highlighting their struggle for equality.