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VATICAN CITY (NewsNation) — Catholic cardinals secluded themselves Wednesday down the walls of the Vatican for the commencement of a conclave to elite the 267th pope.
A radical of 133 cardinals from 70 countries is locked wrong the Sistine Chapel, wherever they volition ballot successful secret, a process designed to beryllium contemplative and escaped from extracurricular communication. Cellphones are surrendered, and airwaves astir the Vatican are jammed to forestall immoderate connection with the extracurricular satellite until a caller person is chosen for the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church.
Though the cardinals aren't required to ballot connected the archetypal day, they typically do. If nary pope is elected successful the archetypal round, the Vatican said achromatic fume would emergence from the Sistine Chapel chimney astatine astir 7 p.m.
The cardinals volition past discontinue for the nighttime and resume voting Thursday morning. They tin clasp up to 2 ballots successful the greeting and 2 successful the day until 1 campaigner receives the required two-thirds majority.
Cardinals urged to elite caller pope who seeks unity
The cardinals began the centuries-old ritual to prime a successor to Pope Francis, who died past period at the property of 88, by celebrating a greeting Mass.
During the Mass, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, urged his peers to elect a pope who values unity and tin acceptable speech “every idiosyncratic consideration," the Associated Press reported. He said the satellite contiguous needs a person who tin awaken consciences.
Challenges facing a caller pope
The adjacent pontiff volition look respective challenges, including continuing Francis' progressive bequest oregon pivoting toward a way to unify a religion that became much polarized during his pontificate.
One of the cardinal topics raised Monday was the “strong concern” implicit divisions wrong the church, a Vatican spokesperson told Reuters. This whitethorn notation to contentious issues specified as Pope Francis’ decision to permit blessings for same-sex couples and to initiate discussions astir the relation of women successful the church.
The clergy enactment maltreatment scandal has besides hung implicit pre-conclave discussions.
How agelong tin the conclave take?
Some cardinals person expressed it’s successful their champion involvement for the process to determination arsenic swiftly arsenic possible.
For the past century, uncovering a pope has taken betwixt 3 and 8 ballots. John Paul I, who reigned for 33 days successful 1978, was elected connected the 3rd ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight.
Francis’ conclave was notably quick, lasting astir 24 hours; helium was elected connected the 5th successful 2013.
Pope Benedict’s conclave successful 2005 took 2 days. Since 1900, the longest conclave has lasted 5 days, providing immoderate discourse for what onlookers mightiness expect successful the coming days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
