New Pope: How to Follow Papal Election As the World Awaits White Smoke

• Black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Wednesday, May 7, confirming that no Pope has been elected during the first round of voting by the College of Cardinals
• The Conclave will continue its deliberations on Thursday, May 8, amid anticipation of the election of the 267th Pope following Pope Francis' demise
• Vatican Media will provide comprehensive global coverage of the election in 56 languages, including live reporting and analysis, as the world awaits the historic announcement

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

Vatican City, Rome - On Wednesday, May 7, black smoke emanated from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel this evening, indicating no new pope was elected during the first round of voting.

Legit.ng reported that there is no clear frontrunner to take over leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, and cardinals will continue voting on Thursday, May 8, in a series of highly secretive ballots until they choose a successor to Pope Francis.

With the beginning of the Conclave preparing to elect the 267th Pontiff, Vatican Media is mobilizing to cover each phase moment by moment, accompanied by in-depth reports.

“Missa pro eligendo Romano Pontifice”

According to the Vatican, the first event to be covered will be the “Missa pro eligendo Romano Pontifice”, which will begin at 10:00 AM on May 7, in St. Peter’s Basilica.

It will be broadcast in 11 languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Polish, Chinese, Arabic, and Vietnamese) and in Spanish Sign Language. The liturgy will also be broadcast in shortwave radio in English, French, and Portuguese to Africa.

In the afternoon, at 4:30 PM, the entry of the cardinal electors into the Conclave will take place, along with their oath-taking ceremony before the "Extra omnes" – the moment when the doors of the Sistine Chapel are closed to begin the voting.

This ceremony will also be covered live in 11 languages, in addition to Sign Language in English, Spanish, and Italian. Vatican Media will provide video and photo coverage of both events.

White smoke: The “live” wait

Beginning on the afternoon of May 7, anticipation will mount for the white smoke, which signals the election of the new Pope.

Vatican News and Vatican Radio will provide daily live coverage of the Conclave proceedings, both via video (on YouTube) and audio in 7 languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish).

The reports will document the results of the votes and the resulting smoke signals, which will appear at the end of the morning and the end of the day if black, or also in mid-morning or mid-afternoon if white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel chimney.

Following the decisive white smoke, live reporting will expand from 7 to 12 languages, with the addition of commentary in Arabic and Vietnamese, as well as sign language interpretation in Italian, French, and Spanish.

In addition, from the moment the white smoke appears, the key moments leading up to the announcement of the new Pope will also be broadcast live on Facebook in 10 languages.

L’Osservatore Romano will publish a special edition immediately after the white smoke, which will be distributed for free in St. Peter’s Square.

Overall, editorial coverage—across both written and spoken formats, including live reporting and in-depth analysis—will span 56 languages, the same languages that make up the information system of Vatican Radio, Vatican News, and L’Osservatore Romano.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, after an illness.

Following his demise and subsequent burial, Catholic cardinals from all over the world started casting their votes for a new pope under Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel in what is the largest and possibly the most unpredictable conclave to ever take place.

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Next pope: Why Nigeria’s Cardinal Okpaleke isn’t a front runner

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the debate about who becomes Pope Francis' successor is a major concern in the Catholic Church even as the College of Cardinals prepares to elect a new pope.

However, two African Cardinals, Peter Turkson of Ghana and Fridolin Ambongo Besungo of the DRC, are seen as top contenders for the position, igniting discussions on the possibility of an African pope.

Interestingly, Nigeria’s Peter Ebere Okpaleke has not emerged among the frontrunners due to his past controversies and limited global profile.

Source: Legit.ng