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Vincenzo Pinto / AFP / Getty Images
Black smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday.
VATICAN CITY — Black smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday, signaling that 115 Roman Catholic cardinals failed to agree on a new pope during the first day of the papal conclave.
The "princes of the church" began deliberating inside the Vatican after swearing an oath of secrecy and entering the papal conclave at about 5 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET).
The smoke was created by the burning of ballot papers used by the cardinals in their deciding vote, with chemical cartridges being added to ensure the smoke did not appear to be white — the sign that a decision has been reached. It means the conclave will reconvene on Wednesday morning.
None of the 115 cardinals will be seen or heard, nor will they have any contact with the outside world, until they have chosen a successor to Benedict XVI, who abdicated on Feb. 28.
As the conclave got under way Tuesday, the cardinals' electronic devices were jammed to prevent any communication with the outside world. They will convene again on Wednesday. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.
"They're on their own now," said NBC News Vatican expert George Weigel, referring to the total isolation demanded by church rules.
Shortly after the conclave began, semi-naked feminist activists with the words "pope no more" written on their chests and backs staged a protest right next to St. Peter's Square, directly in front of the Vatican.
They were tackled by police and detained.
The word "conclave" comes from the Latin meaning "with key". It is a church tradition that began in 1268 when local officials became so fed up with the lack of a decision among cardinals — they had deliberated for more than two years — that they locked them away with limited food and water to encourage a result.
Earlier, thousands of pilgrims and tourists waited in line to get inside St. Peter's Basilica for a special pre-conclave Mass with the cardinals.
The "Mass Pro Eligendo Pontifice" began at 10 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) in front of a congregation of worshippers who were waiting outside in St. Peter's Square for tickets allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Alastair Jamieson / NBC News
Lois Girten, 55, from Austin, Texas, was among those waiting in line to get inside the pre-conclave Mass.
"It’s in the air! You really feel it," said Lois Girten, 55, from Austin, Texas, who secured a last-minute place on a two-week pilgrimage to Rome through a cancellation.
"It’s God’s gift that I’m in Rome just as the conclave takes place. I’m almost speechless with excitement, it’s a real treat for me."
Several thousand visitors were allowed in to take part in the service, according to Religion News Service correspondent Alessandro Speciale inside the basilica.
'Noble mission'
In his homily, cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, told the congregation: "My brothers, let us pray that the Lord will grant us a pontiff who will embrace this noble mission with a generous heart."
At night, cardinals will walk or be taken by minibus the short distance to the modest rooms in Casa Santa Marta, which John Paul II had built in 1996.
On purpose and by chance, Americans join crowd in St. Peter's Square to watch for signs of a newly elected Pope.
Such is the importance of secrecy that Vatican officials have installed jamming devices to prevent the use of cellphones by cardinals or hidden microphones by anyone wanting to hear their deliberations.
No conclave has lasted more than five days in the past century, with most finishing within two or three days. Pope Benedict was elected within barely 24 hours in 2005 after just four rounds of voting.
Benedict triggered the election last month with his shock decision to abdicate because of his increasingly frail health — the first pontiff to step down in six centuries.
He leaves his successor a sea of troubles — including seemingly never-ending sex-abuse scandals, rivalry and strife inside the Vatican bureaucracy, a shortage of priests and a rise of secularism in its European strongholds.
Related:
From Rome to Africa: Meet 20 men who could be pope
Conclave smoke signals a bit of a gray area
Full coverage of the papal abdication from NBC News
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The pope delivers his final audience in St. Peter's Square as he prepares to stand down.
Leave a Comment:
How about No Pope, No Church and finally moving beyond this stone-age mentality. In the age of information ignorance is a choice.
I also love how people defend the insanity in their bibles by saying you don't know how to interpret the text. Did it ever occur to them that the book is in English and I wonder if they meant the word SPIN and not interpret.
Murder, rape, and pillage at Jabesh-gilead (Judges 21:10-24 NLT)
Murder, rape and pillage of the Midianites (Numbers 31:7-18 NLT)
Laws of Rape (Deuteronomy 22:28-29 NLT)
Death to the Rape Victim (Deuteronomy 22:23-24 NAB
Sex Slaves (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)
However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. (Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT
Vote No One for Pope. Could only do a better job than the last guy.
Yep, straight from the mouth of God. The Confederate states used that to justify ownership of human beings.
Hey sam , did you just beam yourself out of the 1850"s because nobody down here own's anyone. Have you researched slavery in the north lately...out of the era of the 1850's of before??? Have you been down south where we of all colors call each other Sir and Maam?? Have you worked sun up to sun down helping a neighbor put in his crops no matter their color and enjoyed some iced tea with them when you were done? Don't talk of what you know nothing of...down here we take care of our own, no matter the color, we're family and neighbors:)
You mention Old Testament Law but have no quotations from the New Testament supporting your contention, nor acknowledging that text on the gift of forgiveness and the grace extended through Jesus Christ.
Don't mind Willow - he is an old cranky guy from the south with no sense of humor. Go eat your grits and stop bitching at people.
Ooooh, how incredibly important as a bunch of men elect another leader of a goofy cult that sanctions child molestation.
Men in dresses and fancy hats getting together in private behind closed doors doing secret things with one another. Sounds a tad kinky.
Italy needs to be liberated from Vatican. Vatican needs to be moved to Timbuktu, a new capital of ignorance and indoctrination.
How about South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Kansas? Ignorance and indoctrination play well there.
Just another silly ritual from a cult run by perverts
just make an announcement, all the smoke "tradition" is just trying to grab more attention. Its lame.
I love this story. Brings all the haters out who claim the Catholic Church is irrelevant, yet can talk of nothing else all day. They all likely have a family member or friend who at one time or another has been helped by a Catholic hospital, charity, neighbor, or adoption service. What a sad and bitter life these people must live to spew hatred all day. And the internet affords these cowards the perfect venue.
Don't know a single soul who was ever helped by the Catholic church. I have some Catholic relatives who have spent a lot of money on psychotherapy.
I was christened in the Catholic Church. That was as far as it went. Thank [insert your favorite invisible daddy in the sky HERE] that it didn't take.
My father was a catholic. My mother was a Baptist. They both liked to sleep late on Sunday (god bless 'em).
I found both denominations to be creepy and ridiculous.
you obvioulsy dont get out much, the church helps billions of ppl every year
lets hope they dont agree anytime soon!! and that these satin worshipping, child molestering, tax avoiding, state burdening, MONSTERS, shut up shop!
you forgot idol worshiping.
again, ignorance---I find this all so funny. satin worshipping, state burdening..etc.......what?????Gotta say, this is probably the most ignorant comment I have come across.....I just can't understand all of you...wait, I just thought about the condition of the world today and morality and yes, I guess I can. After reading these comments I see why the world is in the shape it is. Atheism is "cool" now. I have asked many an atheist about their beliefs-funny so far not one has any that they can explain. It usually is because their friend is one. I am not making fun I am just saying many follow what is "cool" and this is what I see the "cool" trend now..They will wake up someday and hopefully find some inner peace somewhere. It doesn't have to be in organized religion-just something to believe in that is greater than themselves. That is one of the biggest problems with the world today-children are brought up to believe THEY and They alone are the center of the universe-thus we have what we do-selfish, unhappy, non-believing children on meds....The meds come in when they find out they are not the center of the universe!
Reminder:
CHILD RAPE.
That is all. Thank you.
Black smoke, white smoke, the cardinals are blowing smoke up the catholic population's asses. Great news though, they will eventually get another buffoon that they actually believe represents the late JC, if he even existed at all. Hope all those hungry masses keep pumping money into the vatican so the new pope can wipe his @!$%# on gold toilet paper made from latin american blood. El popo ckago en los paintalones.
Oh, who gives a crap?
How do they get the smoke to be that black, burn a tire?
I wonder if any of the cardinals vote for themselves.
I have asked and gotten no responses. If you hate an entire group because of some bad do you hate all teachers and their students, boy scout leaders and all their members, little league coaches and all the players, etc. etc. because in all these groups there are pedephiles that have been outted. There have been cover ups in these organizations as well-does Penn State ring a bell just to name one. So do you hate all Penn State students and faculty?I understand your misunderstanding of a church with so many followers but please lets keep it civil and credible. Not all Catholics are bad because of a few and yes I say afew in the grand scheme of things. More non Catholic ministers have been accused of the same crimes. As for those who go on about the cover-up. Why didnt these people go to the police-when they do they are responsible to prosecute and put these bad priests away. No bishop can stop that. There are a lot of priests in jail. You don't go to the fox to report a problem in the hen house. Anyway, please someone tell me why ALL these organizations are so different from the one you want to persecute today on this post?
I hate the Catholic church because, like most religions, they spread ignorance and superstition.
"contraception is a sin".....sheesh.
contraception is not a sin, it is the selfishness of self gratitude, wanting sex reguardless of the well being of your mate or the baby
Just as I thought sam-298381 You cannot answer my question so you just make an ignorant comment. Again, hating an entire group because they wish to believe a certain way....i still ask God to walk with you on your journey through this life.
lets not forget the "accused" word , not convicted! if there was real evidence then these priests would be behind bars, church or no. some accused are guilty sure but some are innocent, thats why we have a court of law ,NOT A COURT OF OPINION.
Just like the Republican-Tea Party-Right Wing Cartel aka the "TURD BLOSSOM PARTY" : Always blowing smoke.....
Has the vatican been certified against CO2 emission standards? Just curious.
Their "Carbon Footprint" is much greater than they are blowing up that chimney....
Their pedophile footprint is pretty big too.
Ah yes: "Religion". On this side of the pond:
Tea Party types like to call themselves "the only adults in the room" - far from it: Along with their phony "austerity" comes Right Wing baggage: "Religious" Fundamentalism - the Bible is The Word of God, hence, should be the "Law" of the United States; racism, bigotry, phony patriotism and phony morals. They want to destroy public education and take those tax dollars for "Christian" schools and Christian "education" (Creationism anyone?). You see, that's the beauty of "Religion" - you don't have to prove anything; all you need is pseudo-science to go with that pseudo religion...
so are you saying that all democrats are atheists???? lol
Apostle of Truth, you're wrong. Historically, the eldest son would be the Host at a gathering if the father had passed away, which is why Mary came to Him asking about the wine. From the Biblical account we can readily assume that Joseph had already passed away by the time Jesus started His Ministry at Canaan with the water into wine miracle...That miracle, if you read the text, had absolutely nothing to do with Mary's faith. Recall also that Mary called Jesus her "Lord & Savior" in Luke 1:46-47. Answer me this....why would Mary declare this if she were immaculate and not a sinner, the same as you and I? Take note in Luke 11:27-28 where an individual attempts to praise Mary, for birthing Him, in front of Jesus- and Jesus rebukes the woman by stating "Blessed- happy and to be envied- RATHER are they that hear the Word of God and obey and practice it." The praying and worship of Mary is complete garbage and denies Jesus' words: "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through ME." (John 14:6). See also John 6:29 regarding Catholic belief that Mary gave birth to Jesus only...they should read Matthew 13: 55-56 and know that Jesus had numerous brothers and sisters- understand also that the Book of James was written by Jesus' blood brother. Get rid of the pagan ways and do as John 4:23-24 commands, to worship HIM in Spirit and in TRUTH.
hail mary FULL of grace.... means she was without sin, if she had sin , she would be in need of grace and not be full of grace
OK, so since you obviously are not Catholic, let me explain something. When we pray the rosary we are NOT worshipping Mary. We ask angels and saints to pray WITH us. You may not understand it and may not agree with it but you have no right to condemn an entire people because you are not understanding. We ask Mary during the rosary to pray with us ---We are praying with her....so at least that is cleared up!!!
if i am going to a church it will have to be one that was in existance from the time Jesus left the earth until now. only one qualifies for that, the rcc. all protestant faiths are only a few hundred years old, i doubt Christ waited 1500 yrs to fix his church.
the verse states that they said blessed is the womb that carried you, Jesus said rather it is greater to hear the word Jesus saving act on the cross was retroactive, time means nothing to God, saving those who proceeded the crucifixtion in death, which is why Jesus went to hell,to savethose who had already died
Zzzzzzz....
I love reading about how the masses really feel about the catholic heresy and religion in general and the only argument any of the brainwashed fools have is "It says so in the bLIEble".
I have not once said "it says so intheBible" All I am saying I have just as much a right to worship as I want just as you do....I don't make fun of atheists and I do not make fun of people with other religous beliefs. That my friend, is the difference between you and I. God Bless you.
Please quit giving credence to this spectacle NBC . It is a sickening example of what is wrong with Religion. Hiding behind the "cloth" and molesting kids. Horrid!
PEOPLE need a REVOLUTION to tear down The Vatican City!!! and all thats corrupt from within it!!
same for Washington!
same as America... without a real PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!
I'm not reading all of these posts, I just want to say that it's too bad that over one billion people are still buying into this hypocritical cult run by a bunch of hypocritical homosexuals. True believers reap huge rewards so I admire them. But it's time for the leaders of this religious machine to move into the 21st century. Does it say in the bible that priests should be celibate? I don't think so. Let them marry women so they do not have to prey on little boys or other priests, the way it is now is not natural.
How can anyone stay with this organization when they are such hypocrites. That's my point.
That's all I have to say about that.
The news shows are making a big deal out of this conclave and wondering what is going on behind closed doors. I'm not sure anyone really wants to know - Know what I mean!