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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.
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I wonder if these guys could find the Arizona Cardinals a Quarterback...
i bet they could
whynot - They should just get a QB from the Jets. I think they currently have 5.
And none of them is worth a wooden nickel.
Don't give up Obama they haven't ruled out halfbreeds yet
OBAMA for pope
Obama is a Muslim, remember? Dummy
Half Catholic and half Muslim? No wonder Obama is so confused.
Much ado about nothing. Who cares ? They'll just select another who's living in the 16th century. All those sheeple standing in line need to think for themselves with the brains the Almighty has given them.
Yes it is, like a bad stench.
I can smell it all the way over here. What did they have to eat last night over there in the Vatican ?
And what does this have to do with the every day lives of people in the US?????
Between this and Kim K. its irrelevant in the day to day life of probably 99% of the US population. No baring what so ever. Its moot news.
The fate of millions of Little boys rear-ends hangs in the balance...
Oh, I think little boys will be the Catholic's toy for years to come. See the mindless sheep turn out to follow these false prophets? So what if we covered up crimes against children...no one is perfect. Now about that money you owe us.
God has turned us over to our own sin...............ever since Pope Urban II started the "Holy" Crusades.......a quest for mass murder and greed. In the 1950s, Sir Steven Runciman wrote a resounding condemnation:
"High ideals were besmirched by cruelty and greed ... the Holy War was nothing more than a long act of intolerance in the name of God".
For almost 200 years, the Roman Catholic Church staged wars across eastern Europe and western Asia against the Muslims and all non-christians, killing them, enslaving them and profitting from pillage. ("for God, glory and gold")
It didn't stop there. In 1494, Pope Alexander VI authored the Treaty of Tordesillas, effectively dividing the world between Portugal and Spain................for God, glory and gold!
What was so "holy" about all this? It further goes to show how the Roman Catholic Church made its' mark in history, not by faith, but by greed and corruption.
Talk about sheep and indoctrination! Funny, how Americans poke fun at Muslims when they also.themselves are led like mindless sheep .
You can have an organization that thinks they are above the laws of man, even circumventing laws against child rape and yet they get away with it.
They rationalize that no one is perfect, so the organization uses this line to do whatever they wish and get absolution. Like the murderer says..hey no one is perfect so let me go, so I can do it again.
Organizations such as this epitomizes true evil.
You made an incorrect blanket assumption. I don't know anyone who is a decent person that makes fun of Muslims. Maybe it's the class of people YOU hang out with that are the evil ones.
When will MSNBC stop talking about change in the church? THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO CHANGE. Faith is different from secular life. The reason there are sexual scandals in today's church IS because liberals like you keep the pressure of your propaganda on the weak faithful[i.e., some of the pseudo Catholics who work for you]and pushing your liberal political secular agendas that are usually against God and Scripture, thereby secularizing the Church and bringing the secular world and its sins into it!!!
Blame liberals for covering up child rape? Hahhahahaa you dummy. Liberals had nothing to do with transferring child pedophiles around so you won't have to face up to crimes within the organization.
Like the past, Catholics and right wingers blame the devil or liberals not themselves for their sins.
Well put and so true.
The world has always had sin. We look to the church to be above that as an organization. Yes, individuals sin , even in the church, but not a conspiracy to cover up crimes as an organization. That is true evil.
Had the church came out and said we are turning over some priests to the police for crimes, everyone would have applauded. But not denial and cover up.
Sure no need to change their child-raping ways. It's all just a liberal conspiracy. Or not.
Liberals don't cover up child rape in the church. The church is doing that to itself.
Instead of getting pissed off because liberals want to expose the church for what it is, maybe you should direct your anger at the church, who is doing all of the wrongdoing.
Yes, the selection process to choose the Pope is not open, transparent.
What is not widely known is that the Pope is actually determined by the Cardinals getting together in the Vatican gym and playing dodge ball.
Pick a pedophile Pope.
Let's see....buring at the stake, stretching on the rack, boiled in oil, tongue cut out.
Sale of indulgencies.gold to pray one's loved ones out of purgatory.
Child rape.
Yeah, it's the liberal's fault or the devils. God knows it ain't the Catholic's fault
Do not think the Catholic leaders are know for being liberal, they are against birth control, abortion...etc...for one. In that case it sounds more like some of the conservative candidates who ran for president who were against the same thing.
By the way before anybody starts calling me a liberal, I am not...more of a right of center..just that I look on both sides of the coin.
What we need are Catholics priests in our schools. Like getting foxes to teach in a hen house.
The Catholic Church - one of the most absolute corrupt religious bodies to have ever existed.
You papists better hurry up and elect a new Papa, you've been without a "God on Earth" for a while now! Who else are you going to worship.. Mary?
Oh wait.....
Catholics do not believe the Pope is God on earth, nor do we worship Mary. Ant CAtholic propaganda like that only makes you sound ignorant. Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant religion had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin. He wrote his doctorate on her. He asked her to pray with us to her Son, just as Catholics do. Sorry if I ruined one of your bigoted talking points. We are all Christians and all members of the body of Christ. God bless you my brother in Christ.
Catholics do not believe the Pope is God on earth...
Really come on now really you cheer him can't wait to touch him or see him...You treat as a god certainly get real
nor do we worship Mary
He asked her to pray with us to her Son, just as Catholics do
She's dead Hello...Just like anyone else...She is not co-redemptrix or co-redeemer...Hello is anyone home....Am I hitting on deaf and brainwashed ears??? You don't worship her but yet you say the Hail Mary...Jeeeeeesh
@Carl-3754200
If you do not worship Mary then why is there a statue of her in every single Catholic church?
There are statues of our presidents all over Washington DC, would you say Americans their worship Lincoln and Jefferson. The Hail Mary is directly from the Bible. Jews set a place for Elijah every year at Yom Kippur. Christ Himself conversed with Elijah, who was "dead"., as you say. Have you ever had a family member die, who you still speak to and mention in your prayers, and you feel in your heart that this is real? Is the Mother of God any less worthy of this? This is not worhsip, this is Christian unity, praying together to Jesus. Would Christ appreciate his mother being ignored and hidden away like this? As I said before, Luther prayed to Our Blessed Mother. It wasnt till later Protestants tried to unecessarily distant themselves from their Catholic breothers and sisters was she left by the wayside with all of the angels and Saints. The Blessed Mother has appeared all over the world, and is mentioned in the book of revalations as a heroine: 1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
The Red Dragon, Satan
3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
Believers in Christ back yonder was called christians,they didn't call themselves that.They were called that to be mocked.Being in Christ is something he does to the child of God,its called quickened.Made alive,born again,begotten to a livily hope,born of the spirit,these are spiritual works of Christ and cannot i say impossible to be done by man.The so called accept Christ and say the sinners prayer and now your saved is false.Jesus Christ takes his people through the dark nights of repentance,it becomes grevious.Aftwards it produces the fruits of righteousness.
I am a practicing Roman Catholic. I do believe the Church is corrupt in many aspects, but I will never change my faith or convert to Protestantism. There are things that go on in the USA that I do not like or agree with, but that doesn't make me up and move to Canada. I believe in God the Father, His Son Our Lord Jesus Christ, adn the Holy Spirit. I believe in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and all of Our Sacrements. I am not going to let the actions of a few old fruit cakes and peodophiles change my faith. There are more Catholic priests in the world than ministers in any other religion. The percentage of priests who are peodophiles is the same percentage of teachers or plumbers or accountants world wide who are peodophiles. Where the Church went wrong was trying to cover it up. They should have defrocked these men and alerted the authorities and for that the Church was 100% wrong. They are men, capable of sin and mistakes. My faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ and my religion is not shaken by their dispicable actions. That is exactly what the Evil One wants to happen, and unfortunatly in many cases it is
An organization so powerful, corrupt and yet folks kowtow, not to God, but the organization. What is it you learn from such an organization that you could not do on your own? Your heart will guide you, not some old man who is clueless about his surroundings, like the king with no clothes.
Trust me, heaven will miss most of thos you follow. And bless those who let their hearts be their guides.
As a Catholic I do follow Christ first, and who are you to say who goes to heaven and who doens't. Therre are plenty of bad Christians in both Protestantism and Catholicism. We are all part of the body of Christ. God bless you my brother.
14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20But now there are many members, but one body. 21And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
"peter to you i give the KEYS to the kingdom of heaven, WHATEVER you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" sounds like he put one man in charge of the faith to me
Very well said Carl....
Rock, paper scissor?
The church is God's word, not a building or an organization.
The BIBLE is GOD's word. The "congregation" is the "bride" of the "bridegroom" Christ. That is the language used in the Bible to show the relationship of the congregation of God's followers/ sheep with The Lamb, Christ, who bought humans out of the incarceration of sin. It doesn't refer anywhere to the "Church" or the "Catholic Church" IS God's word.
Matthew 24:5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
What does this mean? It means that many churches will acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ however they will not follow the doctrines of God and the bible but instead the doctrines of men...
many will come in my name is referring to the protestant reformation
Befitting that the RED ROBES ARE BLOOD SOILED CLOTHES. In the early 1600's, the blood of the cochineal beetle became the sought after luxury of the day. Because of its expense and scarcity, the scarlet cloth became a symbol of money and power. The Roman Catholic Church dresses it's Cardinals in red robes, dyed in the blood of yet another one of Gods precious creatures. There is so much vile about the "Church" system. The most important thing for the church at this time is this one man. Where is the mention and glory to the God they say they worship? Where is there outward display of reverence for the Scripture in their public addresses? It's like a secret society with followers who don't even understand the language (Latin) that's spoken. Why did God give us the Bible in Greek and Hebrew (common language of the day) if he didn't mean for us to read it and know it? (John 17:3) Why do people worship these men who exalt themselves and who speak an uncommon language for the purpose of keeping God's Holy Scriptures a secret from the very people it was intended for? Why isn't it obvious to everyone, that they fit the description of the Harlot? They are positioning themselves to continue their campaign from a more business-like position. Because they know the world is changing and it's taste for religion is changing. The Church has always been very good at maintaining it's celebrity and position in the political chain. They must have a VERY talented and knowledgeable campaign manager directing them for hundreds of years. Because human organizations are just too unstable and unsustainable without something more powerful leading them. Church followers don't have a clue what's happening, because they haven't been taught to study and examine the Bible for themselves. They haven't been given practical practice to model their lives according to Bible principles. THAT is the example that Christ and the Apostles and elders of the early Christian congregations set. Church leaders speak from a pulpit, wrapped in their opulence and bloody rags, telling people they're going to burn eternally in "Hell" if they don't support the "Church". They used to run Crusades to convert people (savages); anyone not surrendering were robbed, tortured, burned, raped, murdered in the name of the god of the "Church"....whoever that REALLY is. I read the Bible and I examine it, compare it, learn what others believe, have discussions, and THEN I "reason" out life according the the Holy Scriptures.... what Christ and his own Heavenly Father told all of us. After KNOWING (acquired with deep thought vs. simply reading thru and drawing conclusions based on what others believe and have said.) what the Bible says, ONLY a fool would follow men who speak in tongues that no one speaks anymore. They could be saying anything! They could be misleading people! It's easy to mystify people simply by making it real "Blingy" and mysterious, and salvation is seemingly effortless in some cases. That's contrary to 2 Tim 3:16. God want's his followers to know him and we can only do that if we remove the "Religious Holywood" out of the picture. All the ceremony is distasteful and offers reverence to only the man of the hour. WWJD? ....WHAT ARE YHWH/JEHOVAH AND JESUS THINKING RIGHT NOW?!
Great post.
What is the purpose of the church if not to bring the gospel to the world and walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
What is ironic is Catholics teach confesssion of sin. See the Catholic Church confess their sins? I did not
how do you know who has confessed of thier sins or who hasnt. ultimately God will hold ppl accountable for what they hae done. and Jesus told his apostles to forgive mens sins. "whose sins you forgive are forgiven, whose sins you retain they are retained" that part about them retaining sins means that its not an automatic washing of sins just because you made Jesus your Lord and Savoir, btw just saying it in front of a congregation dosent mean you believe it in your heart, he has to be your lord before he can be your savoir
Conclave? Nah. NAMBLA meeting? Possibly. Catholics continue to throw cash and support at priests who violate their own children and grand children. When will they ever come out of denial, and prosecute instead of promote this behavior?
Catholics are not Christians by any meaning of knowledge, Catholism is a fabricated religion of early Christians, and Roman, Greek goods. Constantine fabricated a religious order to control people, which he did not embrace himself. The Vatican has and has always been the Captial of Pedophila, it is deeply and secretly held as a sexual outlet for their followers and priest. There has been Pope's who indulged openly and enjoyed the sick fetish, read why Martin Luther broke from the church. Catholics are all collectively guilty for condoning the eploitation of millions of children over the centuries, all guilty of pedophila by association. They should all be arrested and prosecuted, and interrogated and put an end to the abuse that has plaqued our children for centuries, I have a placard on my door stating "No Catholics allowed" all others welcome. They just don't get it, Catholism is a false teaching, the idols, and collecting the wealth of the world for power is against Christ teachings, Islam is more correct about who and what Jesus was, bless Mohommad for reavealing the truth. Islam exist today because of the corruption of the Catholic church, and Judaism. Interpol should do it's job, and arrest followers of this obsene church, and put the end to it, and redistribute the wealth back to the countries and peoples it exploited over the centuries. Islam, Christians, and Jews are all awaiting the Messiah, he will return and punish all that is evil, and wicked, and we will all live a life free of the hate mongers, and war, and corruption that the church has brought to hundreds of millions for so long. I have faith that this will be so, it is getting closer.
By your logic all Americans would be guilty of the atrocities commited against muslim countries for oil gains, something I am against. You as an American would be held accountable to by your own logic. Doens't sound like something a Muslim should do to a Muslim country. Get real man, you can't hold millions of people who practice a religion accountable for the few bad apples in the buch. How did you feel when Muslims were discriminated against after 9/11. We are all God's children, Catholic, Jew, Muslim Protestant, and He loves us all the same.
Why is this poopity pope nonsense still making top headlines? I wonder if they forgot about the majority of the world that does not give a shlt about this at all. Back page news at best... this isn't the year 1200 anymore.
Informed: if the majority of the world "does not give a @!$%# about this at all", why do you feel at all compelled to render a comment? ...you obviously have nothing but distain for the Catholic church and yet you seem as many posting here, fascinated and obsessed by this story.
Juan: its like you have a neighbor who is a trouble maker...You couldn't give a rat's &*% about him but yet everyone is talking...Maybe its because we wish the best for him and hope he's learn's from his mistakes before its to late and come to the knowledge of the truth
I have read most of this thread & it strikes me that almost no one who posts on here has any credibility. The folks who protect the religious rights they follow, seem to me to forget the one tenant of their religion, forgiveness. &; it seems apparent to me (By the vicious) comments of those who do not "believe", that whatever you do/don't believe in, has left you a very sorry excuse for a human being, & I just feel sorry. The world deserves better than you.
As for full disclosure. I don't know what I believe. I envy people who have found REAL faith. I wish I could. I believe that science can't explain creation, life, & a soul. I believe that there is room for both, & almost no room for intolerance. Some of the greatest/smartest people I have known are grounded in their religious faith, but never stop questioning. I hope; no I pray there is a God, & one day I meet him/her, & they are proud of the life I lead, & not ashamed for the intolerance of my brother's views; or the intolerance to watch gratefully, as they celebrated a sacred (To some) tradition.
What's sad is that the money that people give to this cult has a portion of it directed to lawyers defending sexual predators. In other words they are indirectly condoning this by giving financial support. The attrocities this cult has committed over the centuries is mind blowing yet people blindly follow like lemmings being lead off a cliff.
According to Merriam-Webster, #5 (see below) EVERYONE is part of some "cult" or other. If one is a devout Republican, Democrat, Socialist, Communist, APPLE vs. M.S. groupie, devoted to all things "Hello Kitty" or "Rock Horror Picture Show", etc., they are part of a "cult". That means that everyone is also part of multiple "cults" simultaneously throughout their lives. But that wouldn't necessarily be a small group as sometimes characterizes a "cult" which is also characterized by a belief that is created by, lead by, and dies with, an individual and followed by a small group of devotees that also characteristically alienate themselves from the rest of the world in secret (Manson, Koresh,Traill,Raelian Church, Scientology...) Also a characteristic that I've observed in "cults" is that people die, children become objects of slavery* and sex, as do women and wives to a leader(s) curious. Satan loves and thirsts for power and sexual depravity. He loves watching humans when they think no one else is watching. (another subject) Interesting tidbit: A church was established by a priest in New Mexico to convert the local natives to "Christianity". He convinced them that they needed a bell from the church of Spain and that it would cost them 10 of their children, who would be sent to Spain to serve as slaves to the church. Later the natives rebelled and banished the priest, now a Catholic priest is only allowed to enter that church, once a year.
1: formal religious veneration : worship
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults>
5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
it'll be a big celebration if the next pontiff of the Catholic Church will come from the United States.