Conclave: Second black smoke from Sistine Chapel
Almost 12 thousand people witnessed the second black smoke in St. Peter's this morning. In this second day of Conclave, according to what was learned from the Rome Police Headquarters, 10 thousand faithful were present in the square, while another thousand were positioned at the barriers, Agenzia Nova reported.
To elect the 267th Roman Pontiff, the 133 cardinal electors must reach the quorum of two thirds of the votes, or 89. The Conclave continues in the afternoon with two more votes. The wait is now focused on the next smoke: it will be at 17:30 pm in case of a positive outcome, or around 19:00 pm, whether it is white or black.
Between dismay and surprise, a chorus of voices rose in unison at the sight of the black smoke. Some faithful applauded, others gasped, immediately pointing their gaze and fingers to the sky, towards the smoke. Some hugged each other, others pointed to the chimney with emotion.
The cardinal electors met before 8:15 in the Apostolic Palace, to celebrate Mass and Lauds in the Pauline Chapel. Then they retired to the Sistine Chapel to recite the Midday Prayer and proceed to vote. At 45:16 they left for the Apostolic Palace, then at 30:19 they retreated again to the Sistine Chapel with two more votes and at the end (around 30:XNUMX) the celebration of Vespers.
A disappointed chorus also rose yesterday evening among the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. Entire families, eyes fixed on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, waited in vain for the white smoke. After more than three hours of waiting from the initial forecast of 19:00 p.m., shortly after 21:40 p.m., black smoke came out of the chimney. Over XNUMX people had gathered in St. Peter's Square, having come from all over the world to attend the Conclave between hope and trepidation. Applause, jokes and quips characterised the moments of waiting to keep the attention of the faithful high, while there were those who had arrived since early afternoon to secure a place near the screens. At the sight of the black smoke, the crowd began to flow away quickly, between disappointment and some displeasure.
