Latest news with #GiovanniBattistaRe
Gulf Insider
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
White Smoke Signals New Pope Elected
White smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signalling that cardinals locked inside have elected a new leader for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Thousands of pilgrims and curious onlookers in St Peter's Square cheered and applauded as the smoke appeared and bells began to ring, indicating the 2,000-year-old institution has its 267th pope. All eyes now turn to the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, to see who has been elected to succeed Pope Francis, an Argentine reformer who died last month after 12 years as leader of the worldwide Church. The new pontiff will be introduced in Latin with his chosen papal name and address the world for the first time. He faces a momentous task: as well as asserting his moral voice on a conflict-torn global stage, he faces burning Church issues from the continued fall-out from the sexual abuse scandal to the Vatican's troubled balance sheets. Some 133 'Princes of the Church' from five continents – the largest conclave ever – began voting on Wednesday afternoon. Sworn to secrecy, on pain of excommunication, their only means of communicating their progress to the outside world was by sending up smoke through the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. On Wednesday evening and then again on Thursday lunchtime, the smoke was black, emitting disappointed sighs from the tens of thousands watching. But on Thursday afternoon just after 6pm (1600 GMT) the smoke emitted was white, confirming that the Catholic Church has a new spiritual leader. By tradition, he now enters the Room of Tears – where freshly-elected popes give free rein to their emotions – to don a papal cassock for the first time, before returning to the Sistine Chapel so the cardinals can pledge their obedience. He will then appear on the balcony along with a senior cardinal, who will announce to the waiting crowds 'Habemus Papem' ('We have a pope'). The pope will then give a short speech and impart his first 'Urbi et Orbi' ('To the City and the World') blessing. Pastor or diplomat The election has come at a time of great geopolitical uncertainty, which was seen as a key voting issue, along with the rifts within the Church. Francis was a compassionate reformer who prioritised migrants and the environment, but he angered traditionalists who wanted a defender of doctrine rather than a headline-maker. Some 80 percent of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis. Hailing from 70 countries around the world, it was the most international conclave ever. That was no guarantee, however, that the cardinals would pick someone in his vein. The question was whether to choose a pastor or diplomat, a liberal or conservative, someone versed in the Curia – the Church's governing body – or a relative outsider from areas of the world where Catholic faith is thriving. Before the cardinals were locked into the Sistine Chapel Wednesday, their dean Giovanni Battista Re urged them to choose someone able to protect the Church's unity. The next pope must also be able to lead 'at this difficult and complex turning point in history', amid raging conflicts around the world and the rise of ultra-nationalist parties. The Church has also had difficulty in adapting to the modern world, with declining priest numbers and increasingly empty pews in the West. The papal inauguration usually takes place less than a week after the election with a mass celebrated before political and religious leaders from around the world. The new pope will likely do a tour of St Peter's Square in his popemobile for the first time, before delivering a homily outlining his priorities. Source Gulf News
Hamilton Spectator
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Conclave live: White smoke pours from Sistine Chapel, signalling new pope chosen
Catholic cardinals from around the world have sequestered themselves within the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis's successor. Follow the Star's live coverage on the second day of the papal conclave. Watch live as cardinals choose the new pope. Candidates need a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes. Cardinale Giovanni Battista Re leads a mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff, prior to the start of the conclave, at St Peter's Basilica in The Vatican, on May 7, 2025. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, says he hopes that a new pope would be elected by this evening. 'I hope that when I return to Rome this evening, I'll find the white smoke already rising,' Re said in the city of Pompei, according to Italian newspapers. Re is 91 years old, which makes him too old to participate in the conclave of 133 cardinals who are electing the next pope and who all have to be younger than 80. Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a successor of late Pope Francis, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. Black smoke is again pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on second or third ballots of the conclave. The smoke appeared just before noon after morning voting sessions to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The cardinals will now return to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered for lunch. After that, they will go back to the Sistine Chapel for the afternoon voting session. Two more votes are possible today. Seagulls stand near the chimney of the Sistine chapel on the second day of the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025. It's a question that many people (including us) are asking. The Vatican press office has shared a couple time windows for when smoke could rise from the chimney: That said, smoke did not rise from the chimney yesterday until hours after the expected time, so it's possible the votes could take longer than expected. People wait on St Peter's Square on the second day of the conclave, in the Vatican on May 8, 2025. Casting and counting ballots for a new pope may have taken so long yesterday because of the large number of cardinals voting – 133 – and their linguistic diversity. They hail from 70 countries, and not all speak or understand Italian fluently, which could have slowed down the proceedings if help with translation was needed. While in the past Latin was the universal language of the church, nowadays not all cardinals understand Latin or even Italian, which is the lingua franca of the Vatican. The Vatican television cameras have resumed their fixed shot on the Sistine Chapel chimney, in case smoke comes out after the second ballot of the conclave today. Seagulls perched on the roof nearby as the crowds in the piazza below waited in suspense. Entire school groups joined the mix, blending in with people participating in preplanned Holy Year pilgrimages. Crowds in St. Peter's Square witnessed black smoke pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday night, signaling that the cardinals at the conclave had not been able to elect a new pope. We have no way of knowing how long it took Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa to deliver the traditional meditation after the Sistine Chapel doors closed and the voting began. Cantalamessa is the retired preacher of the papal household. Also, the vote might have had to be done twice, if for some reason the first ballot had to be invalidated. That happened in 2013, when during one voting round, an extra empty ballot appeared. People wait in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to catch a glimpse of the smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave that will elect the successor of late Pope Francis, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The smoke billowed out at 9 p.m. Wednesday, some four hours after 133 cardinals solemnly entered the Sistine Chapel, took their oaths of secrecy and formally opened the centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-member church. With no one securing the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the night to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered. Catch up on the first day of the papal conclave here Black smoke wafted from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel Wednesday afternoon, signalling that the cardinals sequestered within have not yet chosen Pope Francis's successor . Thus concludes the first day of the conclave, a secretive, centuries-old selection process that can take years to resolve — although modern conclaves have taken no more than a week to elect the next pontiff. Here's everything you need to know about the ceremony, as well as what you can expect going forward. Read more from the Star's Kevin Jiang. Journalists and residents of Schiavon, northern Italy, hometown of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gather at the Caffe' Centrale, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, to watch a live TV broadcast from the Vatican, where Cardinal Parolin is presiding over the conclave where the successor of Pope Francis will be elected. Caffè Centrale, on the main drag of the Veneto hometown of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a papal favorite, filled up with locals and journalists awaiting the first sign of smoke on Wednesday. A large TV screen displayed images from St. Peter's Square and the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals were casting the first votes for pope, as locals in the Veneto town of Schiavon, near Vicenza, quaffed glasses of wine. 'We're waiting, and we're rooting for him,'' said Giacomo Bonora, raising a glass of the local favorite, a red wine spritz, and using the local nickname for Parolin, 'Don Piero.' Bonora said that when Parolin returns to the town of 2,600, he asks to be called 'Don Piero,' the way a parish priest would be addressed rather than 'eminence,' a cardinal's honorific. Piero is the Veneto dialect for Pietro. Read the full story from The Associated Press. As the Sistine Chapel's doors slammed shut to seal the cardinals off from the outside world, leadership of the proceedings was assumed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the 70-year-old secretary of state under Francis and a leading contender to succeed him as pope. Parolin is the most senior cardinal under age 80 eligible to participate, and seemed to have received blessings from none other than Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, who was caught on a hot mic during Wednesday's pre-conclave Mass telling Parolin 'Auguri doppio' or 'double best wishes.' Italians are debating whether this was a customary gesture, an informal endorsement or even a premature congratulations. Pedro Deget, 22, a finance student from Argentina, is hoping for a new pope in Francis' image. 'Francis did well in opening the church to the outside world, but on other fronts maybe he didn't do enough. We'll see if the next one will be able to do more.' The Rev. Jan Dominik Bogataj, a Slovene Franciscan friar, was more critical of Francis. He said if he were in the Sistine Chapel, he'd be voting for Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem who is on many papal contender lists. 'He has clear ideas, not much ideology. He's a direct, intelligent, and respectful man,' Bogataj said from the square. 'Most of all, he's agile.' Francis had many traditionalist critics who made clear they believed themselves to be more Catholic than the pope. Francis sought to neutralize the conservative opposition through key appointments and targeted removals, and he also oversaw a crackdown on the old Latin Mass. When he approved blessings for same-sex couples, African bishops united in disapproval. And when he allowed divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, some accused him of heresy. White smoke is pouring out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. At one point there was applause from the crowd as thousands train their eyes on the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, but it was a false alarm. 'We want a Pope close to the people and close to us, to the youth, who represent the future of the Church, said Kacper Michalak, 20, a seminarian from Poland who came for the 2025 Jubilee. The holy year is an ancient church tradition encouraging spiritual renewal which encourages pilgrimages to Rome. VATICAN CITY—How long does it take to choose a pope? It's hard to say precisely, since the Vatican doesn't publish official data on the number of votes or tallies in past conclaves, and sources compiling their own data are not in complete agreement. But historical figures provide a few clues. The longest conclave since the 20th century began took 14 rounds of balloting across five days, ending with the election of Pius XI in 1922. The shortest was the conclave that elected Pius XII in 1939, which took three ballots in two days. Cardinals must reach a two-thirds majority to elect a pope. That was somewhat easier in conclaves past: In 1922 there were just 53 voting cardinals, and until 1978 there were fewer than 100 each time. This year there are 133, so 89 votes are needed. Here's a look at the duration of conclaves in recent history, according to multiple sources including Catholic and other Italian publications: There are cell phones galore in a packed St. Peter's Square, recording the historic moment as it unfolds. This, of course, is a relatively new addition to the conclave proceedings, which were first held at the Sistine Chapel in 1492 — a mere half-century after Gutenberg invented the printing press. In 2013, it took 66 minutes from seeing smoke to Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran announcing Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio — now, of course known as Pope Francis — would be the next leader of the Catholic church. It took another 10 minutes before the red curtains on the balcony were pulled aside and Francis walked through. Minutes before the white smoke started billowing out, a family of seagulls — including a baby seagull — landed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. When the smoke appeared, they moved away but remained on the roof, seemingly unbothered by the momentous decision taking place directly under their feet.
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
White smoke from Sistine Chapel confirms new Pope elected
White smoke from Sistine Chapel confirms new Pope elected The historic signal was seen late on Thursday afternoon White smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (Image: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini ) White smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney has confirmed a new Pope has been elected to lead the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. The historic signal was seen late on Thursday afternoon. Black smoke had billowed from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning, signalling a new pope has yet to be chosen. Cardinals resumed their voting in the secret conclave, having already failed to choose a new pope in the first round of voting on Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, one prominent cardinal, who was not in the conclave as he is older than the age limit of 80 for participation, was reported to be hoping for a new pope by the evening. According to reports in Italian media, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, said on Thursday: 'I hope that when I return to Rome this evening, I'll find the white smoke already rising.' The voting cardinals began their behind-closed-doors meeting shortly before 5pm UK time on Wednesday. Pope Francis was elected after five ballots, and white smoke on the second day of that conclave confirmed the news to the world in 2013. The voting ballots are burned with chemicals added in a special furnace to ensure the colour signals the correct result. For black, to indicate no-one has been elected, the ballots are mixed with cartridges containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene – which is a component of coal tar – and sulfur. Article continues below For white to signal a new pontiff has been chosen, potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin are added to the burning ballots. The cardinals in this conclave were gathering to elect the 267th pope and had, as is tradition, been cut off from communications with the outside world. At a pre-conclave mass on Wednesday, they were reminded of the 'choice of exceptional importance' they must make in electing the next pope. A new pope requires a two-thirds majority in the voting.
The National
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
White smoke at Sistine Chapel signals new pope elected
White smoke has been seen billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signalling a successor to Pope Francis has been elected. The conclave of cardinals has been gathered since Wednesday to choose the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics in a centuries-old ritual. The identity of the next pontiff, and his papal name, is due to be announced shortly. Following tradition, the cardinals burnt their ballot papers to ensure the secrecy of their votes. Chemicals – potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin – were added to provide the white smoke which acts as a signal to the crowds gathered outside in St Peter's Square that they have agreed who among them will be the 267th pontiff. The 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday afternoon, sealing themselves away from the outside world until they came to a two-thirds majority decision. Bright red cassocks, Swiss Guards standing at attention, ancient Latin chants and oaths preceding the slamming shut of the doors were part of he heavily ritualised procedure to the conclave, a word which comes from the Latin term meaning a room that can be locked with a key. At a mass shortly before being sequestered, the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prayed that the cardinals making up the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith's 2,000-year history could agree 'on the pope that our time needs', saying it requires a 'leader who can awaken consciences'. Pope Francis, who died last month aged 88, named 108 of the 133 'princes of the church' including younger ones from the 'global south', which injected an unusual degree of uncertainty in the process. This conclave was the largest – and the most international – in history, with representatives from 70 countries across five continents. For much of the past century, it has taken between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I – the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 – was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Pope Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013. Voting for a new pope follows a strict choreography that is dictated by church law. Each cardinal writes his choice on a piece of paper inscribed with the words 'Eligo in summen pontificem' – 'I elect as Supreme Pontiff.' They approach the altar one by one and say: 'I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.' The folded ballot is placed on a round plate and tipped into a silver and gold urn. Once cast, the ballots are opened one by one by three different 'scrutineers', cardinals selected at random who write down the names and read them aloud. The scrutineers, whose work is checked by other cardinals called revisors, then add up the results of each round of balloting and write it down on a separate sheet of paper, which is preserved in the papal archives. As the scrutineer reads out each name, he pierces each ballot with a needle through the word 'Eligo." All the ballots are then bound together with thread, and the bundle is put aside and burnt in the chapel stove along with a chemical to produce the smoke.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Pope Elected: White Smoke Billows From Sistine Chapel
White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel just after 6 p.m. local time—indicating the cardinal electors have chosen a successor to Pope Francis, ending a two-day conclave more than two weeks after Francis died. The black smoke earlier Thursday morning meant the second and third ballots cast by the 133 voting cardinals failed to elect a new pope, following the first failed ballot on Wednesday. Cardinals resumed voting Thursday afternoon after a lunch break, where they will cast two more ballots, unless a pope is elected on the first. It's unclear how long the conclave will take, as most modern conclaves have lasted just two to three days—but some experts say the conclave, which is the most globally diverse ever, may take longer as many cardinals are meeting one another for the first time. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, who is 91 and above the age cutoff of 80 to participate in the conclave, told Italian news outlets he hopes to see white smoke by this evening. Wednesday's vote took longer than most experts had predicted, as the first release of smoke took an hour longer than the first black smoke in 2013 during the conclave that elected Pope Francis. Mathew Schmalz, editor of the Journal of Global Catholicism and College of the Holy Cross religious studies professor, told BBC News the lengthy wait for the first release of smoke may have been because of the large number of cardinals from around the world meeting one another for the first time, speculating the conclave could take one day longer than usual. Though it's unclear why Wednesday's vote took so long, Schmalz told the BBC he is 'getting kind of nervous' about whether the conclave may have run into issues that will need to be smoothed out in the coming days. The conclave of 133 electors is the largest and most globally diverse in history, greater than the 115 electors that participated in the 2005 and 2013 conclaves, which may also cause a longer time for the vote. There's no clear frontrunner to win the papacy, Vatican experts say, though some of the cardinals considered to be prime candidates include Italy's Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state who is considered more moderate than Francis, and the Philippines's Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, who has drawn comparisons to Francis for his liberal-leaning stances and his championing of the poor. Parolin and Tagle are the two leading contenders on various betting sites, including Polymarket and Kalshi, as bettors wage millions on the papal election. Other cardinals considered possible candidates include several from Italy, Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Matteo Zuppi, as well as Congo's Fridolin Ambongo, Hungary's Peter Erdo, Ghana's Peter Turkson and France's Jean-Marc Aveline. While secluded from the outside world, cardinals under the age of 80 will cast four votes each day until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority. The process begins Wednesday afternoon with mass at St. Peter's Basilica, after which cardinals proceed to the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave. Should no successor be chosen on a given day, cardinals spend the night in Vatican guesthouses to resume voting the next day. Each cardinal is assigned a desk affixed with papers that say, 'Eligo in summum pontificem,' or, 'I choose as supreme pontiff.' After voting, the ballots are burned, and chemicals are added to produce either black smoke—indiciating no pope has been elected—or white smoke—meaning a pope has been chosen—from the Sistine Chapel. Vatican watchers gather to watch what color the smoke is after every vote. Papal experts have said the conclave could determine whether the Catholic Church continues down the path laid by Francis to become more progressive, or whether a more conservative successor could be chosen and potentially roll back some of Francis's reforms. Francis was notable, and divisive, for his stances striking a more welcoming tone toward LGBTQ Catholics and women in church leadership roles, which won some global praise but angered conservative critics. Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden said some cardinals want to elect a successor 'who can follow in the footsteps of Francis. Some others said, 'No, no. Not at all,'' the New York Times reported, while Italian conservative Cardinal Camillo Ruini said there is a 'need to return the church to Catholics.' Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, said in a homily Wednesday the new pope will face a 'difficult and complex turning point in history,' stating he prayed for a pope who leads 'for the good of the church and of humanity.' Some cardinals have watched the movie 'Conclave,' the papal drama that won an Oscar just two months ago, while prepping for the real thing, Politico reported, citing a cleric involved in the conclave who said some cardinals found the film 'remarkably accurate.' Viewership of 'Conclave' spiked 283% within a day of Francis's death, according to Luminate. Francis died at age 88 on Easter Monday, April 21, following a bout of health issues, which led to his longest hospital stay while pope. Francis was hospitalized earlier this year for bilateral pneumonia and bronchitis, and Vatican doctors said he died of cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure. These Cardinals Are The Top Candidates To Succeed Pope Francis (Forbes) The Church Is More Global Than Ever. What Does That Mean for the Next Pope? (New York Times)
