The race to choose the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church entered a symbolic new phase on Friday as Vatican firefighters installed the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel the signal that the conclave to elect a new pope is officially near.
The chimney, through which either black or white smoke will declare the outcome of each round of voting, was mounted in a quiet but historic moment that marks the beginning of the end of the Francis papacy. The conclave is set to begin on May 7, with 120 cardinal-electors preparing to enter one of the world’s most secretive and spiritually significant elections.
The installation comes amid intense behind-the-scenes discussions among cardinals about the challenges facing the 1.3 billion-member Catholic Church — from clerical abuse scandals and dwindling vocations to the geopolitical instability shaking many Catholic communities around the globe.
“This is more than ritual. It is the threshold of transformation,” said Vatican analyst Fr. Luca Bellini. “The Church is asking: What kind of pope do we need now a reformer, a diplomat, a traditionalist, or something altogether new?”
The conclave rituals are as ancient as they are symbolic. After each vote, ballots are burned in a special furnace. Black smoke signals no decision. White smoke, produced by a unique chemical blend, means a new pope has been chosen. The last time the world saw white smoke rise from the Sistine chimney was March 13, 2013, when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio emerged as Pope Francis, the first pope from the Americas.
This week’s preparatory meetings, known as “general congregations,” have drawn both voting cardinals and non-voting ones including those over the age of 80 into deep reflection over the state of the Church and what its future leader must embody.
Though speculation is mounting over potential papabili men considered frontrunners for the papacy the Vatican remains tight-lipped. Still, names like Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Italy, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines continue to circulate among Vatican watchers.
As the chimney rises above Michelangelo’s frescoes and centuries of tradition, Catholics around the world turn their eyes toward Rome — awaiting the smoke, and with it, the name that will shape the Church’s future.
