VATICAN CITY — This time there was no doubt. There was no new pope yet, and the mystery of who — and when — was as thick as the unmistakable heavy black smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
As thousands waited in a cold night rain in St. Peter's Square, the cardinals signalled Tuesday they had failed on their first attempt to find a leader for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics and their troubled church.
"It's black, it's black, it's waaay black!” screamed Eliza Nagle, a 21-year-old Notre Dame theology major on an exchange program in Rome, as the smoke poured from the 6-foot-high copper chimney at 7:41 p.m.
"They definitely got the colour right this time,” agreed Father Andrew Gawrych, an American priest based in Rome, referring to the confusion over the smoke during the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.
That was thanks to special smoke flares — akin to those used in soccer matches or protests — lit in the chapel ovens to make the burned ballots black, the sign that cardinals must come back for another day of voting Wednesday.
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The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People shelter under umbrellas while they wait in St Peter's Square for news on the election of a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People gather in St Peter's Square as they wait for news on the election of a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: Photographers' cameras are protected with waterproof material and umbrellas as the media awaits news from the Conclave in St Peter's Square on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
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People gather on St Peter's square waiting for the smoke announcing the result of the second vote of the conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. The 115 cardinals held a first inconclusive vote in the Sistine Chapel yesterday as they began the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE (Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)
VATICAN-CARDINALS-POPE-CONCLAVE
A faithful prays on St Peter's square, waiting for the smoke announcing the result of the second vote of the conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. Black smoke again billowed out of a chimney over the Vatican on Wednesday, indicating that cardinals meeting in a conclave have failed to choose a pope after three votes. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS,GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
VATICAN-CARDINALS-POPE-CONCLAVE
Mexican faithfuls wait on St Peter's square for the smoke announcing the result of the second vote of the conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. The 115 cardinals held a first inconclusive vote in the Sistine Chapel yesterday as they began the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE (Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)
VATICAN-POPE-VOTE-CONCLAVE
Faithful react in St Peter's Square after black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel announcing that Catholic Church cardinals failed to elect a new pope during a conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. The 115 cardinals held a first inconclusive vote in the Sistine Chapel yesterday as they began the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE (Photo credit should read JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)
VATICAN-POPE-VOTE-CONCLAVE
Faithful react in St Peter's Square after black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel announcing that Catholic Church cardinals failed to elect a new pope during a conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. The 115 cardinals held a first inconclusive vote in the Sistine Chapel yesterday as they began the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE,GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)
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A faithfull waves a national flag of Malte on St Peter's square as people wait for the smoke announcing the result of the second vote of the conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. The 115 cardinals held a first inconclusive vote in the Sistine Chapel yesterday as they began the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE,FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)
VATICAN-POPE-VOTE-CONCLAVE
Faithful protect themselves with umbrellas as they wait on St Peter's square for the smoke announcing the result of the second vote of the conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. The 115 cardinals held a first inconclusive vote in the Sistine Chapel yesterday as they began the process of finding a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE,FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: Three nuns wait in the rain for smoke to emanate from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel as cardinals continue their conclave on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People wait in the rain for smoke to emanate from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapelas cardinals continue their conclave on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: Polish youths sing as they wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope in St. Peter's Square on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: A woman takes a picture while waiting in the rain in St. Peter's Square as others wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: A woman walks across St Peter's Square in an American flag as others wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope in St. Peter's Square on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: A worker pauses in his truck in St. Peter's Square as people wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: Three nuns wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope in St. Peter's Square on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope in St. Peter's Square on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People hold rosary beads while they pray and wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The Papal Conclave Day Two
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: People hold rosary beads while they pray and wait for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Visitors take shelter from the rain as they wait in front of St. Peter's Basilica during the second day of the cardinals conclave to elect a new pope in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Faithful watch on a monitor the chimney on the top of the Sistine Chapel, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to choose a new pope after their first ballot yielded no winner and a great plume of black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Visitors line up as they wait to visit St. Peter's Basilica as cardinals are gathered in the Sistine Chapel for the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Nuns stand in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to choose a new pope after their first ballot yielded no winner and a great plume of black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Visitors wait in St. Peter's Square during the second day of voting by cardinals to elect a new pope at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Their first ballot on the first day yielded no winner and a great plume of black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Crowds gather in front of St. Peter's Basilica in St. Peter's Square as they wait for smoke from the Sistine Chapel during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
A nun holds her umbrella inside St. Peter's Square as cardinals are gathered in the Sistine Chapel for the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to choose a new pope after their first ballot yielded no winner and a great plume of black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
A nun holds her umbrella as she prays in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to choose a new pope after their first ballot yielded no winner and a great plume of black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Nuns hold their umbrellas as they gather in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to choose a new pope after their first ballot yielded no winner and a great plume of black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Two nuns smile in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals are returning to the Sistine Chapel for a second day of voting to choose a new pope after their first ballot yielded no winner and a great plume of black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel as cardinals voted on the second day of the conclave to elect a pope in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke indicates that no pope was elected. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning Roman Catholic cardinals have not elected a pope in their second or third rounds of balloting, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals voted twice Wednesday in Michelangelo's famed frescoed chapel after a first vote Tuesday in a conclave to elect a successor to Benedict XVI, who stunned the Catholic world last month by becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, meaning Roman Catholic cardinals have not elected a pope in their second or third rounds of balloting, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinals voted twice Wednesday in Michelangelo's famed frescoed chapel after a first vote Tuesday in a conclave to elect a successor to Benedict XVI, who stunned the Catholic world last month by becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel as cardinals voted on the second day of the conclave to elect a pope in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. In the foreground is the statue of St. Paul. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
A woman holds a cross as she waits in St. Peter's Square on the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that Catholic cardinals hadn't elected a pope on their second or third rounds of balloting. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Nuns wait for the chimney smoke in St. Peter's Square during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that Catholic cardinals hadn't elected a pope on their second or third rounds of balloting. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Nuns talk amongst themselves as black smoke emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel, seen in the background, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that Catholic cardinals hadn't elected a pope on their second or third rounds of balloting. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Visitors wait for the smoke from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke indicates that no pope was elected. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that Catholic cardinals hadn't elected a pope on their second or third rounds of balloting. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Visitors wait for the chimney smoke in St. Peter's Square during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that Catholic cardinals hadn't elected a pope on their second or third rounds of balloting. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Visitors wait for the chimney smoke in St. Peter's Square during the second day of the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Black smoke again billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, meaning that Catholic cardinals hadn't elected a pope on their second or third rounds of balloting. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
A woman wrapped in a Brazilian flag stands in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Cardinals heard a final appeal for unity Tuesday before sequestering themselves in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave to elect the next pope, as they celebrated Mass amid divisions and uncertainty over who will lead the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church and tend to its many problems. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Photographers shoot photos of friars as they cross St. Peter's Square during a rain storm at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Cardinals sequestered themselves in the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday for the start of the conclave to elect the next pope. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Catholic nuns gather after a Mass for the election of a new pope outside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There's no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
A seagull glides past the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The most gazed-at item at the Vatican this week will be a humble, copper, two-meter (six-foot) high chimney that will pipe-out puffs of smoke to tell the world if there's a new pope. Black smoke means "not yet." White smoke means "pope elected." (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
People watch cardinals assembled in the Sistine Chapel at the start the conclave to elect a new pope on a video monitor in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Sister Veronica of the Theresian community prays in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to elect the next pope amid more upheaval and uncertainty than the Catholic Church has seen in decades: There's no front-runner, no indication how long voting will last and no sense that a single man has what it takes to fix the many problems. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Tuesday's drama unfolded against the backdrop of the turmoil unleashed by Benedict's surprise resignation and the exposure of deep divisions among cardinals grappling with whether they need a manager to clean up the Vatican's dysfunctional bureaucracy or a pastor who can inspire Catholics at a time of waning faith and growing secularism.
Surrounded by Michelangelo's imposing frescoes portraying the beginning and the end of the world, cardinals locked themselves into the Sistine Chapel following a final appeal for unity by their dean and set about the business of electing the 266th pope.
The 115 scarlet-robed prelates chanted the Litany of Saints, the sounds of the Gregorian chant echoing through the soaring hall as, walking two-by-two, they implored the saints to guide their voting. They then took an oath of secrecy, first collectively and then individually, as each placed his right hand on the gospel and intoned the words in Latin accented by their native languages — English, German, French, Italian, Arabic and so on.
Then the master of liturgical ceremonies intoned the words “Extra omnes” — “everyone out” — and dozens of prelates and Vatican officials departed as the chapel's heavy, ornately carved wooden doors swung shut.
The cardinals then proceeded with the carefully choreographed vote, each writing his choice on a piece of paper, then folding it and tipping it into an urn, to be counted by hand by three “scrutineers” who read out the results, one by one.
With no cardinal winning the required 77 votes on the first ballot, the cardinals returned to the Vatican hotel for a simple dinner of pasta with tomato sauce, soup and vegetables before another day of voting Wednesday.
Benedict's surprise resignation has thrown the church into turmoil and exposed deep divisions between Vatican-based cardinals and those in the field who have complained about Rome's inefficiencies and indifference to their needs.
The leading contenders for pope have fallen into two camps, with Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, seen as favoured by those hoping to shake up the powerful Vatican bureaucracy, and Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer favoured by Vatican-based insiders who have defended the status quo.
Other names include Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who heads the Vatican's powerful office for bishops and U.S. cardinals Timothy Dolan, the exuberant archbishop of New York, and Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston.
In a final appeal before the conclave began, the dean of the College of Cardinals, retired Cardinal Angelo Sodano, used his homily at a morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to urge unity. He asked that cardinals put their differences aside for the good of the church and the future pope.
“Each of us is therefore called to co-operate with the successor of Peter, the visible foundation of such an ecclesial unity,” Sodano said.
He was interrupted by applause from the public in the pews — not so much from the cardinals — when he referred to the “beloved and venerated” Benedict XVI and his “brilliant” pontificate.
Sitting in the front row was Benedict's long-time aide, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, who reported that the now-emeritus pope was watching the proceedings from his residence in Castel Gandolfo, 17 miles away, according to Vatican spokesman Rev. Thomas Rosica.
For more than a week, the cardinals have met privately to try to figure out who among them has the stuff to be pope and what his priorities should be. But they ended the debate with questions still unanswered, and many cardinals predicting a drawn-out election that will further expose the church's divisions. The conclave proceeds in silence, with no formal debate, behind closed doors.
During discussions before the conclave, Vatican-based cardinals defended their administration against complaints that they have been unresponsive to diocesan needs, according to leaks of the proceedings in the Italian media. At one point on Monday, the Brazilian head of one Vatican office reportedly drew applause for challenging the Vatican No. 2, who has been blamed for most of the bureaucracy's administrative failings.
“Let us pray for the cardinals who are to elect the Roman pontiff,” read one of the prayers during the Mass. “May the Lord fill them with his Holy Spirit, with understanding and good counsel, wisdom and discernment.”
In his final radio address Tuesday before being sequestered, Dolan said a certain calm had taken hold, as if “this gentle Roman rain is a sign of the grace of the Holy Spirit coming upon us.”
“And there's a sense of resignation and conformity with God's plan. It's magnificent,” he said during his regular radio program on SiriusXM's Catholic Channel.
Outside, the faithful gathered to await the outcome, with groups of nuns singing and playing the guitar, cheering the cardinals on.
“I don't expect any quick fixes. There will always be problems,” said Sister Manaoag, a nun from the Philippines. “We have to not get stuck with seeing things like factions and problems, but see beyond that. What does God want? This is something we sometimes forget.”
Story Continues Under Gallery.
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God
Remember: white smoke = Pope. Black smoke = no Pope. Sweet smoke = BBQ break.
VATICAN-POPE-VOTE-CONCLAVE-BLACK SMOKE
Black smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals failed to elect a new pope in the first ballot of their secret conclave on March 12, 2013 at the Vatican.
Matt McLaughlin
Black smoke rises out of Berkeley Heights chimney. I have not yet decided on what I want for dinner
Craig Wettner
The black smoke monster has appeared from the Sistine Chapel. That means Mr Eko is dead and no Pope was selected.
John M. Becker
Biggest non-surprise of the day: black smoke from the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. No pope on first ballot.
The Papal Conclave Day One
Black smoke billows out from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel indicating that the College of Cardinals have failed to elect a new Pope on March 12, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff.
Omar L. Gallaga
Black smoke coming out of the Convention Center roof means there was no breakout app this year at #SXSW.
Rich Reilly
Black smoke also rising over building in Austin. Fajitas.
#Pope #SXSW
Ian Hyland
Remember. White smoke = new pope. Black smoke = still burning hard drives.
alejandro esteves
"Black smoke emerges from Sistine Chapel chimney -- signalling inconclusive conclave vote on new pope." -- CNN
Ebo
The black smoke monster appears over the Vatican, signaling John Locke as the new Pope.
God
Remember: white smoke = Pope. Black smoke = no Pope. Sweet smoke = BBQ break.
Susie
Black smoke, white smoke. Which century are we living in? So archaic. #papalconclave
GrimWeasel
That's a lot of black smoke. Are they burning the tires off the old Pope-mobile.
Evans R. Okyne
Black smoke at the vatican.no pope yet.hopefully cardinal Turkson in the lead..lol.
Abraham Lincoln
Black smoke and flames are what happened once when @MadamLinconl burned one of my hats in a fit of anger. I know all about black smoke.
David
#BREAKING Black smoke over the #SistineChapel, signalling no pope after 1st ballot of the #conclave. #pope
Jeff Patterson
Black smoke + glow sticks = goth rave. And how many goth nights are called "Conclave"?
Dan Gordon
Black smoke: So the big gulp ban is back on?
Lisa Goldman
Today's Twitter Programming is brought to you by Black Smoke and the letters SXSW.
VATICAN-POPE-VOTE-CONCLAVE-BLACK SMOKE
Black smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals failed to elect a new pope in the first ballot of their secret conclave on March 12, 2013 at the Vatican.
Other pilgrims acknowledged the challenges facing the church.
“It's a moment of crisis for the church, so we have to show support of the new pope,” said Veronica Herrera, a real estate agent from Mexico who travelled to Rome for the conclave with her husband and daughter.
Yet the mood was not entirely sombre.
A group of women who say they are priests launched pink smoke from a balcony overlooking the square to demand female ordination — a play on the famous smoke signals that will tell the world whether a pope has been elected. Two topless activists from Femen, a Ukrainian feminist group, were dragged away by police. Femen activists have previously protested the Vatican's opposition to gay marriage.
And in a bizarre twist, basketball star Dennis Rodman promised to be in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday in a makeshift popemobile as he campaigns for Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana to become the first black pope.
None of the cardinals will see it, since they will be sequestered inside the Vatican walls. They are allowed to travel only from the Vatican hotel through the gardens to the Sistine Chapel and back until they have elected a pope. No telephones, no newspapers, no television, no tweeting.
The focus of the ritual is on the Sistine Chapel, the Michelangelo masterwork painted over the course of nearly 30 years starting in 1508, and so astonishing to Pope John Paul II that he called it “the sanctuary of the theology of the body.”
The most famous frescoes are “Creation,” a series of nine paintings running the length of the ceiling, the most well-known of which is the “Creation of Adam,” showing God and Adam, their fingers reaching out to one another. “The Last Judgment” behind the altar depicts a muscular Jesus surrounded by naked masses, some ascending to heaven and others falling to hell.
Benedict once wrote that the images of the beginning and the end of creation weighed on him when, as then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was an elector in the 1978 conclave that brought John Paul II to the papacy.
“I know well how we were exposed to those images in the hour of the important decisions, how they challenged us and how they instilled in our souls the greatness of our responsibility,” Ratzinger said in 2003, at the presentation of a book of poetry by John Paul about the Sistine frescoes.
That burden, coupled with so much uncertainty and upheaval going into the conclave, led the American cardinals to disagree on whether to expect a short or long conclave.
Cardinal Dolan this week publicly expressed optimism that the election would be wrapped up quickly. And on the eve of the conclave, he wrote a letter to New York priests, saying: “My guess is that we'd have a new Successor of St. Peter by Thursday evening,” according to Dolan's spokesman, Joseph Zwilling.
That bullish stance stood in stark contrast with the view of Chicago Cardinal Francis George.
His spokeswoman, Colleen Dolan, told The Associated Press that the cardinal suggested it could be a long affair, raising the possibility that the electors may still be meeting by Saturday, when conclave rules require them to take a break and spend some time in prayer before resuming voting.
Another American had something else entirely on his mind. On the day of the conclave, the archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay nearly $10 million to settle four clergy sex abuse cases that alleged abuse by a now-defrocked priest who told Cardinal Roger Mahony nearly 30 years ago that he had molested children.
Mahony ignored a petition urging him to recuse himself from the conclave because of how he covered up for abusive priests and is taking part in the voting.
* * *
From earlier
LA MOTTE, Que. - The tiny hometown of Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet was besieged Tuesday by dozens of journalists — creating a local population jump of almost 10 per cent overnight.
The papal contender's northwestern Quebec village of 439 people had around 40 news workers within its borders as the conclave to choose a new pope began in Rome.
Two dozen vehicles — including five news satellite trucks — were parked outside La Motte's old church while the cardinals cast their ballots thousands of kilometres away.
Ouellet was baptized and ordained as a priest in the building, which is now primarily a community centre due to declining church attendance in the area. Local officials expect around 50 journalists to visit the town during the conclave and transformed the church basement into a media room.
The process to elect the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church began Tuesday, with Ouellet among those in the running to be the new pontiff.
The co-owner of the only business in La Motte said many of her usual clients are steering clear of her general store to avoid the journalists.
"I have some customers who are very shy to come to the store, they are waiting until the journalists are gone," said Lise Breault, whose shop is across the street from the church.
"It makes for a lot of activity in the village, it's changing our lives."
Breault said several of her regulars have phoned her in advance to find out if news crews are near her store. She added, however, that journalists have helped boost sales by buying coffee, chocolate and chips.
Ouellet and 114 other cardinals have sealed themselves inside the ornate Sistine Chapel to pick a successor to former Pope Benedict XVI, who retired last month after eight years in office.
The 68-year-old Ouellet holds a powerful post in the Vatican, where he plays a key role in the selection of bishops and archbishops around the world.
The centuries-old process for choosing a new pope is veiled in secrecy and the chapel has been swept for listening devices by Vatican security.
The election of the new pope will be signalled by a puff of white smoke from a special chimney installed on the roof of the Vatican.
Black smoke indicates no decision has been reached.
Several rounds of balloting could be held and the conclave will go on until a new pontiff is chosen.
Auravelia Colomer, 27, cashed in all her annual vacation time to make the pilgrimage to Italy. The Toronto public relations consultant was originally meant to arrive in Rome for Holy Week but set her sights on witnessing the new pope's election after the date of the conclave was announced.
"I thought I needed to be there, it's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it's going to be historic," said Colomer, who waited on standby over the weekend before finally securing a flight for Tuesday night.
She's hoping to get there before the decision is made and plans to "run over to St. Peter's Square and camp out until I see the smoke."
Colomer said it's long been her dream to be present for such a pivotal moment for the Catholic faith, but admits "the possibility of a Canadian pope is also a driving factor."
Cardinals held a final debate on Monday on the type of man best suited for the job.
Some wonder whether Catholics need a solid manager to address the Vatican bureaucracy and controversies over scandals and alleged corruption or a more inspirational figure to bring more people into the church.
Some possible candidates are Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, and Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer.
— With files from Paola Loriggio in Toronto
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CP | By Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press Posted: 03/12/2013 4:00 am EDT | Updated: 03/12/2013 8:27 pm EDT