The first smoke signal from
the papal conclave will come from the Sistine Chapel "not before
7pm" on Wednesday, Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni
said on Tuesday.
He said the cardinal electors will enter the chapel at around
4:30 pm, then there will be a catechesis by Cardinal Raniero
Cantalamessa and the swearing of the oath of office followed by
the first vote on who should succeed Pope Francis.
There will then be four votes and two smoke signals a day until
a new pontiff is elected.
So on Thursday, the first smoke signal could be around noon,
unless a new pope is chosen in the first vote of the day, in
which case the white smoke would puff out of the chimney at
around 10:30 a.m.
Similarly, the subsequent smoke signal would not come until
around 7:00 pm unless the first vote of the afternoon were
decisive, in which case the white smoke would come out at around
5:30 p.m.
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