#papal-conclave

#papal-conclave

Two weeks later 133 cardinal electors shuttered themselves inside Vatican City's Sistine Chapel to select the next pope. Outside the Vatican, prognosticators of all stripes scrambled to predict what name would be announced from the basilica balcony. Among the expert pundits, crowdsourced prediction markets, bookies, fantasy sportslike platforms and cutting-edge artificial intelligence models, almost nobody expected Robert Prevost. Where every known method of divination seemed to fail,

Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel both used excellent footage of a cardinal sealing the doors to the Sistine Chapel, implying that a big dance party was taking place once the doors were shut.

A baby seagull got the StPeter's piazza people get excited and then White Smoke happened!!!

Today, 133 cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pope, continuing a tradition in this monumental space, rich with Renaissance art.

Ambongo, currently considered a candidate for pope, drafted a letter of protest against the Vatican's declaration on same-sex unions, highlighting Africa's opposition to such advancements.

The process of selecting a pope is a blend of political and spiritual efforts, guiding cardinals to partner with the Holy Spirit in their decision-making.

"It's a duty of conscience for the cardinals... that we've been coming along a path and this path needs to continue to grow and grow and grow."

The secrecy surrounding conclaves today is reflected in the measures taken to secure the Sistine Chapel, making the papal election process highly controlled and enigmatic.

"For the good of the church, I vow to obey the will of Pope Francis to not enter into the conclave, although I remain convinced of my innocence."

"There are ten times the number of people in this sweepstake as there are cardinals in the Catholic Church, making it bigger and therefore more legitimate than the real conclave."

When those doors shut, all of the speculation and way of talking about this as oppositional... will finish, and there'll be much more a mood of reflection.