A puff of white smoke is raised from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney and thousands of people cheered amid the rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square. Name of the new pope will be announced later.
The huge crowd shouted “Habemus papam!” in Latin after the white smoke was seen in Latin.
Yesterday Cardinal remained divided in the Vatican City over choosing the new pope even after three rounds of voting and thick black smoke billowed from Sistine Chapel’s chimney prompting disappointment.
People in great numbers gathered in St. Peter’s Square and wanted to see white smoke and know who is the new pope, but smoke is a tradition of the church for a long time.
Black smoke suggests vote has been conducted to select the new pope but consensus has not yet been reached where as white denotes the new pope has been selected.
To be named as the next new pope in the Vatican City the candidate need to obtain 77 votes, two-thirds majority. No candidate achieved the figure in subsequent ballots so far over kind of pope they want.
Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said this was expected and continuing voting is not a sign of divisions but a normal process.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama has prompted an idea of an American pope saying he would preside effectively just like a Polish pope or a Guatemalan pope or an Italian pope and not too tied to his government. He also hopes the new pope of whichever country would be called the “central message” of the gospel.
The Vatican has briefed about how the church generates black smoke. It said a secondary device beside the traditional stove brings out colored smoke since 2005 with the help of different chemical compounds. Potassium perchlorate, safer and anthracene blended together generates black smoke whereas a mixture of resin, lactose and potassium chlorate sends the message of new pope selected. Before 2005 smoke black or pitch was used to obtain black smoke and white used to be generated by wet straw.
The election of the pope in Vatican City is different than that of a political election. Ahead of the election the cardinals said they want such pope that understands the problems faced by the church and is strong to tackle it. The problems briefed are reform of Roman Curia, cleaning the Vatican bank and handling a pedophilia crisis.
The last pope retired on February 18.
About Author
Ben Azimio is a student and a freelance writer, most of the articles he’s been working on were mostly for politics. He had also written articles for Mr. Frank Biden, the brother of US Vice President.
