No pope has been elected on the first day of a conclave for centuries, so voting could continue for several days before one of the red-hatted princes of the Church receives the necessary two-thirds majority to become the 267th pontiff.

There was only one ballot on Wednesday. Thereafter, the cardinals can vote as many as four times a day. Black smoke from a chimney on the roof of the chapel will mark an inconclusive vote.

White smoke tells the world that a pope has been chosen. The great bell of St. Peter’s Basilica will ring out as an additional sign that a new pope has been elected. – Report from Reuters

Today’s influencers use social media, television and newspaper interviews, news conferences, open letters, and even puffs of pink smoke.

The campaigns to sway the outcome of a highly uncertain conclave started in earnest minutes after the announcement of Pope Francis’ death on Easter Monday and ended by Wednesday afternoon, May 7, when the cardinal electors are cut off from the outside world until they choose a successor.

Two episodes, in particular, have stood out as deliberate attempts to sabotage leading contenders for the papacy using underhand tactics.

Reports circulated on right-wing US Catholic social media and on the site of a conservative Italian newspaper that Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is on most shortlists to become pope, had suffered a health scare and needed an hour of medical treatment.

The Vatican spokesman said the reports were totally false. Italian media said it was an attempt to “poison” the 70-year-old cardinal’s chances by implying that his body was not up to the job. “This was a clear attempt to penalize Parolin,” Italian Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio told an Italian newspaper.

A few days after Francis’ death, a six-year-old video of Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle singing parts of John Lennon’s “Imagine” in 2019 emerged on social media.

American and Italian conservative Catholic social media accused him of heresy, with one Italian traditionalist site asking: “Is this who we want as pope?” Tagle’s supporters countered that he had sung an abbreviated version that excluded the lyrics about no heaven and no religion.

“From the right and from the left, fake news about possible popes is going wild,” wrote Paolo Rodari, a Vatican commentator for RSI Swiss radio and television. – Report from Reuters

The largest and most geographically diverse conclave in history was due to resume on Thursday, May 8, with Roman Catholic cardinals returning to the Sistine Chapel to try to settle a wide-open papal election.

The red-hatted “princes of the Church” started the heavily ritualized process of choosing a new leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Wednesday, May 7. In the evening, black smoke billowed from a specially-installed chimney visible from Saint Peter’s Square to signal an inconclusive ballot.

No pope in modern times has been elected on the first attempt, so that outcome was widely expected. But given recent history, a final result is possible from the second day, when up to four rounds of voting can take place.

What happens before, during, and after a conclave? How significant is the role of a cardinal? Why do rituals such as the conclave matter for the Roman Catholic Church?

Rappler religion reporter Paterno Esmaquel II sits down with Father Aris Sison, the spokesperson of the Diocese of Cubao and a veteran commentator on ecclesiastical affairs, for a comprehensive briefer on the upcoming conclave.

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The chimney of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel emits black smoke at 9 pm on Wednesday, May 7 (3 am on Thursday, May 8, Manila time), a signal that the College of Cardinals has not chosen the next pope.

Black smoke appeared from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Wednesday, May 7 (Rome time), signaling that the 133 Catholic cardinals meeting in a secret conclave failed to elect a new pope on their first ballot.

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