Conclave latest: Black smoke rises from chimney - no pope elected on Day 1

VATICAN CITY - The College of Cardinals has begun the process of selecting a successor to Pope Francis following his death on April 21. 

The 133 cardinals from 70 countries will begin the conclave Wednesday afternoon following a morning mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. All communications around the Vatican will be jammed and cardinals will turn in their cell phones so they can vote in secret. 

There’s only one round of voting on Wednesday. It’s expected to begin around 10 a.m. ET. (4 p.m. local time)

Here’s the latest from the conclave:

Black smoke arises from Chapel chimney – no pope elected 

3 p.m. ET: Black smoke has risen from the Sistine Chapel chimney, meaning no pope was elected during the first round of voting Wednesday. Voting resumes tomorrow. 

Seagull perched on Sistine Chapel chimney

2:30 p.m. ET: People watching live streams of the smoke stack have taken a special interest in a seagull sitting on the roof nearby. At one point it was perched on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. 

The bird has been in live video shots for hours, along with a chick that also entered the video frame.

Extra omnes

11:44 a.m. ET: The command of "extra omnes" – everybody out – has been given. The cardinals are now locked in without outside observers or influences to start their discussions.

Cardinals enter Sistine Chapel

10:48 a.m. ET: The Cardinals have gone into the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave.  They chanted the meditative "Litany of the Saints" as they walked in, while a line of Swiss Guards stood at attention.

The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals find a new leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.

Morning Mass is over

8:48 a.m. ET: The morning Mass at St. Peter's Basilica has ended, giving cardinals a few hours to rest before the conclave begins. 

Schedule of events

Timeline:

May 7: Conclave begins

All 133 cardinal electors will attend a Eucharistic celebration in the morning, according to Vatican News.

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In the afternoon, electors will head to the Sistine Chapel where they will take an oath of secrecy.

Following the oath, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations will deliver a meditation. During this time, electors can reflect on the importance of choosing their new pontiff.

Prayers are recited and anyone with last-minute questions are permitted to ask them at this point.

Once electors are clear on the procedures and rules, the election process starts. 

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There will be one round of voting on Wednesday. If no one is elected, the cardinals will hold their evening prayer service and retire for the night.

On Thursday, the first full day, the cardinals will have morning prayers and head into the Sistine Chapel around 9:30 local time. There will be two rounds of voting in the morning and then two more rounds in the afternoon. They will once again retire for prayers and rest if no one is elected by the evening.

After each session, smoke from burning ballots will signal the result: Black smoke means no pope was selected; white smoke means "habemus papam" – we have a pope. At that point, the new pontiff will be expected on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square within an hour.

RELATED: White smoke vs. black smoke: What it means for the pope

Because the ballots are only burned once in the morning and once in the evening, the smoke signals will likely be seen around midday local time and then late afternoon. Vatican City is currently six hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast, so that means the expected smoke times are around 5 to 7 a.m. ET and then 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

How many votes are needed to select a pope? 

The backstory:

The voting process works similar to how the U.S. federal government: a two-thirds majority is required to choose the next pope.

Each cardinal writes his choice on a piece of paper and drops off their twice-folded ballot in a large chalice one by one, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website.

Cardinals must be under 80 years old to cast a vote for a new pope.

Four rounds of balloting take place every day, except Wednesday when there’s only one round, until a candidate receives the necessary number of votes.

ReligionWorld