Journalists are often derided as a fairly un-churched bunch, but yesterday the 5,000-plus reporters covering the conclave swelled the churches of Rome to catch a glimpse of cardinals saying Mass, hoping to pick up some hint of what to expect when things get underway tomorrow.
On that front, probably the most interesting insight came from Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France.
All eyes will turn to the smokestack on top of the Sistine Chapel after the cardinals process into conclave Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. If you don't want to watch all day, when should you check for smoke?
Until a pope is elected, twice a day there will be black smoke around noon and 7 p.m. Rome time. White smoke could appear at these times or earlier, around 10:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. if a pope is elected on the first ballot of the morning or afternoon.
Papabili of the day: Today, John Allen examines the papal prospects of three Americans: Cardinals Timothy Dolan, Sean O'Malley and Donald Wuerl.
With the world's cardinals set to choose a new pope, Emeritus Archbishop of San Francisco John Quinn on Saturday called for major church governance reforms, including changes in the papacy itself.
January 2012 was the ten-year anniversary of the eruption of the clerical sexual abuse scandals in Boston, and on that occasion Cardinal Sean O'Malley sat down for an exclusive interview with NCR to discuss where things stand in Boston, across the country and around the world. He also spoke in candid terms about the toll the crisis has taken on him personally, and how the experience in Boston may have forced him to "toughen up."
In the overheated atmosphere of the pre-conclave period, and in the absence of polling data or any other empirical sign of which way things are trending, absolutely everything is scrutinized as a possible hint of who the next pope might be.
If an overseas cardinal says Mass in Italian, it’s taken as a sign that he’s trying to prove he could be Bishop of Rome; if two cardinals are seen together drinking coffee, it can spark a volcano of speculation about possible coalitions.
Papabile of the day: There's an Asian possibility who hasn't yet received much attention: Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay (Mumbai) in India.
Rome dispatch: Photos from inside the specially renovated Sistine Chapel, where the church's cardinals will select the new pope.
Rome
If the readers of Italy’s paper of record, Corriere della Sera, had any say in the matter, the choice for the next pope would be clear: Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston.
Corriere today asked eight contributors, including their own Vatican beat writers as well as noted Vatican-watchers, to name their top three picks to be the next pope. O’Malley was mentioned by five of those eight experts, putting him in a tie with Odilo Pedro Scherer of Brazil, and just one mention ahead of Angelo Scola of Milan.
Rome dispatch: Smoke and bells will announce the election of a new pope, not SMS messages or texts, the Vatican says.
Sign up to get NCR updates by email. Existing users: change your preferences here. Enter your email address in the box below and click “Go.”
Not all of our content is online. Subscribe to receive all the news and features you won't find anywhere else.
