Cardinals opening conclave to elect new pope - KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports

Cardinals opening conclave to elect new pope

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VATICAN CITY (AP) - At the Vatican, this could be election day.

The conclave starting after morning Mass and lunch is expected to yield the first in what could be a series of votes by the cardinals who'll choose the next pope.

If 77 of them agree on the first ballot, the new pope will be introduced today to the faithful in St. Peter's Square.

If that two-thirds threshold is not reached, subsequent votes will follow tomorrow and for as many days as it takes for the cardinals to discern which of them they believe to be God's choice to lead the Roman Catholic church.

The cardinals' ballots are burned after each vote. Black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney means no pope has been chosen yet. White smoke means the 266th pope has been chosen.

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