MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Conclave to pick new Pope under session

Parolin is the favorite unless he fails to get the minimum 89 votes, and the conclave lasts longer than expected

The conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor began Wednesday with 133 cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel, isolated from the outside world. The process started with the “extra omnes” prayer, signaling the closure of the chapel doors. The cardinals, sworn to secrecy, will vote until a new pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority (89 votes). The first vote would be voting in the afternoon, with smoke -black or white- expected any minute.

According to Vatican sources, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin -Francis’ former Secretary of State- is a leading candidate with liberal leanings. Parolin is also the most senior cardinal elector according to the order of precedence.

For some, Parolin is seen as a bureaucrat who could almost be too boring for the papal office, who emerged as the leading candidate of the liberal wing in the week before the conclave. This even led to rumors of illness about him.

A Vatican expert quoted by local media insisted that “if the conclave is short, Parolin will be the next Pope.” If any other candidate is to prevail, it would then take a little longer..., “more than five ballots.”

“Everybody out!” announced Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations Master Monsignor Diego Ravelli, as he closed the Sistine Chapel doors, leaving 133 Cardinals cut off from the world, with no internet, telephones, television, or other broadcast services until they choose a new pontiff.

In addition, the cardinals swore an oath of secrecy about the process and to “faithfully” perform the role of pontiff if elected by “divine disposition.”

During voting, each cardinal writes the name of his candidate, folds the ballot, and places it on a silver plate, which is used to deposit it in an urn. The ballots are read out and burned in a stove with the help of chemicals: if two-thirds are not reached, the smoke is black; if there is a Pope, the smoke is white.

If no one gets elected Wednesday, the cardinals will vote again four times starting Thursday: twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. The elections of Benedict XVI and Francis took two days.

The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, called in a Mass prior to the conclave to “maintain the unity of the Church” in the face of the “difficult, complex and convulsive” moment that the future spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics will face.

The Argentine Francis created 80% of the cardinals participating in the conclave, the largest and most international in history, with prelates from some 70 countries.

So has everything already been decided? Of course, the Vatican expert doesn't want to go that far. “If the conclave lasts more than five ballots, then it will be someone else,” English announces. In other words, if Parolin does not prevail on one of the first two days, he will be “burned”. Because it could also “backfire if a candidate is pushed forward too early”, as happened with Parolin in the week before the conclave.

Other Vatican analysts recalled that, except in the case of Joseph Ratzinger becoming Benedict XVI, it is not uncommon for anyone walking into the conclave as a [virtual] Pope to come out just another cardinal.