ballots

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Second Ballot : No smoke. No Pope had been elected yet

As there was no ‘early’ smoke on Wednesday morning, 13 March 2013 in Rome, it is safe to assume that no Pope had been elected in the second ballot. This is because, instead of the usual 2 ballots per session then burn the ballots of both together at the end (session = morning/afternoon), if a Pope is elected on the first of these two ballots, the second ballot will obviously not take place, and thus, the smoke will be early, and will definitely also be white.

This was also the early sign that a Pope had been elected in 2005, when the afternoon smoke went early (this was after the fourth ballot, first of two afternoon ballots) at near 6 pm Rome time, when the smoke, which should have been later if no Pope was elected.

It may be more likely that the white smoke will appear after the third ballot, or the fourth ballot.

Watch live at : http://www.romereports.com/palio/modules.php?name=Content3&pa=showpage&newlang=english&pid=47#.UUA0qBzLoj7

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Times to watch for the smoke signal from the Sistine Chapel

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Here are the times when the smoke signals (black or white) will pour out of the chimney and be visible to the public, as the first sign whether the Cardinal-electors had succeeded or failed to elect a new Pope in the previous ballot session.

 

1. Smoke after 1st ballot (The only Tuesday ballot session, 1st day):

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 8 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 7 pm UTC

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 2 pm EST (UTC-5)

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 at 11 am PST (UTC-8)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 2 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 3 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

2. Smoke after 2nd ballot (1st Wednesday morning ballot, 2nd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected (if no pope elected after the 2nd ballot, the Cardinal-electors will continue directly to 3rd ballot, and the two ballots will be burned together after the 3rd ballot) :

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 11.30 am Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 10.30 am UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 5.30 am EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 2.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 5.30 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

3. Smoke after 3rd ballot (2nd Wednesday morning ballot, 2nd day) :

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 1 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 12 pm UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 7 am EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 4 am PST (UTC-8)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 7 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 8 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

4. Smoke after 4th ballot (1st Wednesday afternoon ballot, 2nd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 5.30 pm UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 12.30 pm EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 9.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 00.30 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 1.30 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

5. Smoke after 5th ballot (2nd Wednesday afternoon ballot, 2nd day) :

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 8 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 7 pm UTC

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 2 pm EST (UTC-5)

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 at 11 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 2 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 3 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

6. Smoke after 6th ballot (1st Thursday morning ballot, 3rd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected :

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 11.30 am Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 10.30 am UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 5.30 am EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 2.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 5.30 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

7. Smoke after 7th ballot (2nd Thursday morning ballot, 3rd day) :

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 1 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 12 pm UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 7 am EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 4 am PST (UTC-8)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 7 pm WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 8 pm Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

8. Smoke after 8th ballot (1st Thursday afternoon ballot, 3rd day) : A new Pope is likely to have been elected

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 6.30 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 5.30 pm UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 12.30 pm EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 9.30 am PST (UTC-8)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 00.30 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 1.30 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

9. Smoke after 9th ballot (2nd Thursday afternoon ballot, 3rd day) :

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 8 pm Rome time (CET/UTC+1)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 7 pm UTC

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 2 pm EST (UTC-5)

Thursday, 14 March 2013 at 11 am PST (UTC-8)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 2 am WIB (Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) (UTC+7)

Friday, 15 March 2013 at 3 am Singapore time (UTC+8)

 

If until at this point, no one has yet been elected the Pope, they will adjourn for a maximum of one full day for prayer, discernment and consideration. To think and really find out who should be the next Pope. The cycle continues again with the other 3 day ballots, and then break if the Cardinals fail to pick a suitable candidate, and these proceedings will continue until a new Pope had been elected.

If this conclave is fast, as it is expected to be, due to the incoming Holy Week and other mattters, we do not even need to refer to the timing I placed for the later ballots.

Nevertheless, regardless what happens, God is always with us, and He will certainly choose the best one available for the position.

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Ninth General Congregation of the College of Cardinals : Saturday, 9 March 2013

The ninth and probably the last of the General Congregations of the College of Cardinals will take place on Saturday morning at 9.30 am, 9 March 2013, and may be used as an opportunity to clear up outstanding matters and issues, and to help the Cardinals to affirm what they are looking as the characteristics needed in the new Pope, which they will elect in the Conclave that will begin on Tuesday, 12 March 2013.

Now that the date of the Conclave has already been decided, the remaining matter to be completed is to assign the rooms in the Domus Sancta Marthae where the Cardinals will stay during the duration of the Conclave. The room assignment is done by lots and therefore is random, and may be done in the Ninth General Congregation this morning.

The Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff or the Missa pro Eligendo Pontifice, has also been confirmed to take place at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday morning before the commencement of the Conclave on Tuesday afternoon, when the Cardinals will march into the Sistine Chapel and henceforth be ‘closed-off’ from the outside world until the new Pope is elected.

Fr. Federico Lombardi, head of the Holy See Press Office will give his usual press briefing on Saturday afternoon at 1pm Rome time (1 pm CET // 12 pm UTC // 7 am EST // 4 am PST // 7 pm WIB or UTC+7 // 8 pm Singapore time or UTC+8).

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Summary of the Fifth General Congregation of the College of Cardinals : Thursday, 7 March 2013

The Fifth General Congregation of the College of Cardinals was held this morning, Thursday, 7 March 2013. All the Cardinal-electors, all 115 of them who will be voting to elect the new Pope in the upcoming Conclave, are already in Rome and had taken part in the meeting this morning.

No date has yet been fixed for the start of the Conclave, although the afternoon session, that is the Sixth General Congregation may decide just that, or the Seventh one, which will be held tomorrow, Friday, 8 March 2013 morning at 9.30 am. Fr. Federico Lombardi, the head of the Holy See Press Office mentioned that he is not certain whether the College of Cardinals will be deciding the date of the Conclave by the afternoon meeting or not.

If there is any immediate decision on the Conclave date in the afternoon meeting, Fr. Lombardi will announce it through message to journalists at 7 pm Rome time today (Thursday), or corresponding to 6 pm UTC / 1 pm EST / 10 am PST / Friday at 1 am for West Indonesia and UTC+7 areas / Friday at 2 am for Singapore, Malaysia, HK, China, and other UTC+8 areas.

The Fifth General Congregation saw more Cardinals using their chances to speak, with 51 Cardinals having spoken so far in the past five General Congregations. As today’s fifth meeting saw the release of economic reports of the Holy See from several organisations in the Roman Curia handling the Holy See’s economics, some of the Cardinal’s speeches address those economic reports, while others focus more on the role of the Church in charitable works in the world, and the work in ecumenism and dialogue with other religions.

16 interventions were made by the Cardinals today, with 3 interventions dealing with the economic reports as mentioned, and others discussing the matters of the conclave, most importantly the profile, the much needed profile and who the next Pope should be and the necessary qualities he should have, and what is his characteristics that the Cardinals should seek in electing the right person for the position.

A video was shown in the press briefing on the works in the Sistine Chapel and the installation of the chimney and the stoves for burning the ballots, as well as the erasure of Pope Benedict XVI’s coat-of-arms from the Vatican Garden’s large coat-of-arms made with plants and flowers, depicting the Pope’s coat-of-arms. The particular coat-of-arms of Pope Benedict XVI was removed, while the papal tiara and the golden and silver keys of the Papacy remained in place.

The fifth meeting also highlighted issue of the oath of secrecy, which are taken in the case of the Conclave, the General Congregation meeting, as well as when the College deem it necessary for media blackout to be imposed to avoid any unwanted leak of information.

It is not certain at this time whether there will be two meetings tomorrow, Friday, 8 March 2013 as it was today. The confirmed meeting is the morning session’s Seventh General Congregation, which may indeed be the one that decides the Conclave date. After all, Fr. Lombardi made it clear in the press briefing that the Conclave is strictly more a time for solemn prayers and decisions, and voting itself.

All forms of discussions, discernments, speeches, and raising up issues pertaining to the Church should indeed be done at this time, during the General Congregation, and not during the Conclave. Hence, the reason why the General Congregation meetings should not be rushed, but rather be meticulously done, so that when these meetings are over, possibly by this weekend, the Cardinal-electors will be ready to enter the Sistine Chapel for the Conclave, possibly this coming Monday, 11 March 2013.

In the meanwhile, let us continue to pray for the Church, for all our Cardinals, and the Cardinal-electors, and for the smooth proceedings of the remaining General Congregations, as well as the Conclave later.

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Sistine Chapel being prepared for the Conclave : Prospects for the Conclave to begin in the next few days

Sistine Chapel, where the Conclave to elect the new Pope will take place has been closed to public since Tuesday afternoon, 5 March 2013. Since then, extensive works had been done on the Sistine Chapel to install the necessary items needed for the Conclave, such as the tables and chairs for the Cardinal-electors, the electrical wiring and equipments needed at the Conclave, and of course most importantly, the two stoves on which the ballots will be burned, and linked to the famous chimney, will be the first sign to the world if a new Pope had been elected.

http://www.romereports.com/palio/sistine-chapel-gets-ready-historic-chimney-brought-in-for-conclave-english-9269.html#.UTdJyVeJegE

As the College of Cardinals hold two General Congregation (Fifth and Sixth) meetings today, and the works for the preparation of the Conclave is going full speed at the moment, we can expect the date to be finalised by today, as the last Cardinal-elector is scheduled to reach Rome on Thursday morning, and the Conclave may begin as reported on Monday, 11 March 2013.