LIVE VIDEO — Monitor scenes from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, which will emit white or black smoke to signal if a new pope has been elected.By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC NewsVATICAN CITY – The world was watching the skyline above the Vatican on Wednesday after black smoke signaled for a second time that cardinals had been unable to choose a pope.
On the second day of deliberations, black smoke billowed from the chimney over the Sistine Chapel at about 11:45 a.m. local time (6:45 a.m. ET).
The “princes of the church”, who began their papal conclave late Tuesday, resumed their discussions on Wednesday afternoon.
A fourth ballot was expected at about 5:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) Wednesday. If that is also inconclusive, it is expected cardinals will hold another at about 7 p.m. (2 p.m. ET).
Using a smartphone? Watch the Sistine Chapel's chimney LIVE here (http://nbcnews.to/16oXWVk)
Voting in silence, the cardinals are believed to have now held three inconclusive ballots.
Shut off from the outside world without access to phones or television, the cardinals spent Tuesday night in their accommodation at Casa Santa Marta before returning to to the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday. The 115 cardinals were back behind closed doors this morning for two more unsuccessful secret votes to select who among them will be the new leader of the Catholic church. NBC's Lester Holt and Keir Simmons report. Despite torrential rain, hundreds of tourists milled around in St. Peter's Square with an eye on the Sistine Chapel's chimney in case it began to spew white smoke. That would indicate a cardinal has received the two-thirds of the votes required to be elected pope.
“We feel the world watching at this exciting time for the church,” said Father Peter Verity, English priest and spiritual director of Rome’s Beda College, in his homily at Mass at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Wall (http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/en/basilica/storia.htm) early Wednesday.
'Hairs standing on end'
Among the dawn worshippers in the congregation were visiting pilgrims Julie Knight, 50, from Indianapolis, and her husband Karl.
“There’s a real sense of occasion in the city,” she said. “I can feel my hairs standing on end, it’s an incredible feeling.”
The smoke is created by the burning of ballot papers used by the cardinals in their deciding vote (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17213060-conclave-smoke-signals-a-bit-of-a-gray-area?lite), with chemical cartridges being added to ensure the smoke appears either black or white.
At a news conference during the cardinals’ lunch break, Reverend Thomas Roscia, a Vatican spokesman, explained that five cartridges of mixed chemicals were released over a seven-minute period to alter the color of the smoke.NBC's Keir Simmons takes a look at the nerve center of TODAY in Vatican City as Catholics around the world wait with bated breath to see the white smoke signaling a new pope has been selected. A mixture of potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulphur were added for black while a mixture of potassium chlorate, lactose and pine resin were added for white.
Amid laughter, Rosica urged reporters to check the details. “I don’t study this stuff,” he said, “I study the Bible.”
Roscia also gave reporters a personal account of the atmosphere inside the Sistine Chapel before the conclave began.
“I realized this was no longer a movie,” he said. “I had chills going up my spine. As I looked at the cardinals gathered there, I saw not just their faces, but their nations. It was much bigger than I ever imagined.”
He added: “This is not a rush to process… The whole process is slow, deeply meditative. People speak in hushed voices.”
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 (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/28/17129365-thank-you-for-your-friendship-benedict-leaves-vatican-for-final-time-as-pope?lite).On purpose and by chance, Americans join crowd in St. Peter's Square to watch for signs of a newly elected pope.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.
Such is the importance of secrecy that Vatican officials have installed jamming devices (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17268346-total-lockdown-vatican-preps-security-for-papal-conclave?lite) 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 XVI was elected within barely 24 hours in 2005 after just four rounds of voting.
NBC News' Peter Jeary contributed to this report.Slideshow: Electing a pope (http://slideshow.nbcnews.com/id/51147164/displaymode/1247/?wbSlideShowId=51147164&wbSection=news)(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/ss-130312-electing-pope/ss-130312-electing-pope-tease-1014p.photoblog600.jpg) (http://slideshow.nbcnews.com/id/51147164/displaymode/1247/?wbSlideShowId=51147164&wbSection=news)Andrew Medichini / APCardinals from around the world gather in the Vatican to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.Launch slideshowRelated:
First question for new popes: 'By which name do you wish to be called?' (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/12/17285243-first-question-for-new-popes-by-which-name-do-you-wish-to-be-called)
Is it time for the first African pope? (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/12/17286538-is-it-time-for-the-first-african-pope?lite)
Full coverage of the papal abdication from NBC News (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/vatican)
This story was originally published on Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:14 AM EDT
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