Smoke-Stack Watch: The Times

L'Osservatore Romano/AP Photo

With black smoke billowing out of the conclave smoke stack on the one and only vote today, you might be wondering what times to watch for smoke tomorrow.

Cindy Wooden at the CNS blog explained why we would see only two smoke signals per day, even if there are four votes:

The times below are listed in European Central Time. Remember, Europe — unlike the United States — does NOT go on Daylight Saving Time March 10.When the balloting is unsuccessful — no candidate reaches the 2/3 votes needed for election — two votes are taken in the morning and two are taken in the afternoon. The two morning or two afternoon ballots are burned together, so there are only two smoke signals a day.

Now, she gets into the times to begin observing the most popular chimney in the world. I'm using text from the Catholic World Report post on the same thing. 

Beginning Wednesday, smoke would be expected at about noon [7 am ET] and again about 7 p.m [2 pm ET].

However, if a pope is elected on the first ballot of the morning, the white smoke would billow forth between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. [5:30 am and 6 am ET]. If he is elected on the first ballot of the afternoon, the white smoke would be seen between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. [12:30 pm and 1 pm ET].

After a white smoke signal, it takes about 40-45 minutes before the announcement of the name of the candidate who won. He must accept the office, change to white vestments and the cardinals pledge their obedience and pray again.

Here is a Rome Reports video brief of the procession into the Sistine Chapel and the Oath.   Father Z has quite a few screen shots and some comments at his blog.

If you missed the Mass for the Election of the Supreme Pontiff, you can watch it here.

Earlier, I made a post with resources on how you could follow what is going on.

I continue to refer you to New Advent.  It's a portal that picks up some good headlines and is updated a few times daily with some of the latest.

Father Z is doing a lot of live-blogging from Rome.

UPDATE: If you really want to know the secret of the black smoke, you have to scroll down in this post by Father Z and see the secret pic taken by a secret mole inside the Conclave.  LOL!!!

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