Cardinals Continue Deliberations on Next Pope
Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.
April 4, 2005: Jorge Mario Bergoglio conducts a mass in honor of Pope John Paul II at the Buenos Aires cathedral. Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope on March 13, 2013 to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
Crowds cheer as white smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, March 13, 2013.
White smoke rising from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel, indicating that a new pope has been elected.
Crowds cheer as white smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, March 13, 2013.
Nuns smile in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.
People crowd Saint Peter's Square to await the sight of smoke from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel.
Visitors wait in Saint Peter's Square during the second day of voting, March 13, 2013.
Black smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City indicating that no decision has been made after the first day of voting for the election of a new pope, March 12, 2013.
The crowd waits during the conclave in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 12, 2013.
A view of the balcony on the facade of Saint Peter's Basilica where the newly elected pope will make his first appearance to salute the cheering crowd, at the Vatican, March 11, 2013.
Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican is silhouetted during sunset in Rome, March 11, 2013.
Saint Peter's Square, seen from the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
Roman Catholic cardinals started meeting Tuesday for their conclave to elect a new pope.
Andre de Nesnera
March 13, 2013
For the second day, black smoke has emerged from a chimney atop the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, signifying Roman Catholic Cardinals have not agreed on a new pope.
The 115 Cardinals are voting on a successor to Pope Benedict the XVI who resigned last month - the first pontiff to do so in 600 years. Benedict, who now has the title “Pope Emeritus,” is in the popes’ summer home in Castel Gandolfo outside Rome. He has pledged his “unconditional reverence and obedience” to whomever succeeds him to guide the 1.2-billion-member Roman Catholic Church.
A candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes, 77 ballots, to be elected pontiff.
A seagull rests on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.x
A seagull rests on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, March 13, 2013.
Many experts say the cardinals are looking for an evangelizer, someone who could preach the gospel in a way that is understandable to people in the 21st century. Church historian Chris Bellitto, who teaches at Kean University in Union, New Jersey] said the cardinals are also discussing other qualifications.
“They are probably looking for someone with charisma, someone of course with the usual things: someone who is multilingual, who has some diplomatic experience, who is not necessarily a theologian but can handle theology very well," Bellitto said. "You are looking for a happy face, because it has been a dour time. You are going to look for somebody who has a strong record of dealing with not only priest pedophiles, but bishops who moved priest pedophiles around.”
Many experts say the cardinals will also decide whether it is time to elect a pontiff who is not European. Forty-two percent of the world’s Catholics are in South America and 24 percent live in Africa, where the church is growing.
Analysts say the cardinals are also looking for someone who is a manager and who could reform the Vatican bureaucracy - especially following the scandal involving the pope’s butler who stole documents, some revealing alleged corruption in the Vatican administration.