Vatican City:
Roman Catholic cardinals meet for a second day in a conclave on Wednesday to elect a successor to Pope Benedict, who abdicated last month.
Here is an approximate schedule of events for Wednesday. All times are local. Rome is six hours ahead of eastern time in the United States and one hour ahead of GMT.
7:45 a.m. - The 115 cardinal electors leave the Santa Martha hotel inside the Vatican for the Apostolic Palace.
8:15 a.m. - Mass in the Pauline Chapel.
9:30 a.m. - Prayer followed by voting in the Sistine Chapel.
They can vote twice in the morning. If the cardinals have not elected a pope after two votes, black smoke will emerge from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.
If they have elected a pope, white smoke will emerge after either the first or second ballot of the morning session.
Therefore, morning smoke can be expected anytime between about 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. - If a pope has not been elected, the cardinals return to the Santa Martha residence.
1:00 p.m. - Lunch in the residence
4:00 p.m. - The cardinals return to the Apostolic Palace
4:50 p.m. - Voting in the Sistine Chapel
They can vote twice in the afternoon. If the cardinals have not elected a pope after two votes, black smoke will emerge from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.
If they have elected a pope, white smoke will emerge after either the first or second ballot of the afternoon session.
Therefore, afternoon smoke can be expected anytime between about 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
7:15 p.m. - If a pope has not been elected, they hold vespers in the Sistine Chapel.
7:30 p.m. - Return to the Santa Martha residence
8:00 p.m. - Dinner in the Santa Martha residence.
The cardinals will live in the Santa Martha residence inside the Vatican walls for the duration of the conclave. They will be escorted between there and the Apostolic Palace so they are not disturbed and have no contact with the outside world.
If no one has been elected by Friday, the cardinals will hold a day of prayer and reflection on Saturday before resuming the voting.
Here is an approximate schedule of events for Wednesday. All times are local. Rome is six hours ahead of eastern time in the United States and one hour ahead of GMT.
7:45 a.m. - The 115 cardinal electors leave the Santa Martha hotel inside the Vatican for the Apostolic Palace.
8:15 a.m. - Mass in the Pauline Chapel.
9:30 a.m. - Prayer followed by voting in the Sistine Chapel.
They can vote twice in the morning. If the cardinals have not elected a pope after two votes, black smoke will emerge from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.
If they have elected a pope, white smoke will emerge after either the first or second ballot of the morning session.
Therefore, morning smoke can be expected anytime between about 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. - If a pope has not been elected, the cardinals return to the Santa Martha residence.
1:00 p.m. - Lunch in the residence
4:00 p.m. - The cardinals return to the Apostolic Palace
4:50 p.m. - Voting in the Sistine Chapel
They can vote twice in the afternoon. If the cardinals have not elected a pope after two votes, black smoke will emerge from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.
If they have elected a pope, white smoke will emerge after either the first or second ballot of the afternoon session.
Therefore, afternoon smoke can be expected anytime between about 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
7:15 p.m. - If a pope has not been elected, they hold vespers in the Sistine Chapel.
7:30 p.m. - Return to the Santa Martha residence
8:00 p.m. - Dinner in the Santa Martha residence.
The cardinals will live in the Santa Martha residence inside the Vatican walls for the duration of the conclave. They will be escorted between there and the Apostolic Palace so they are not disturbed and have no contact with the outside world.
If no one has been elected by Friday, the cardinals will hold a day of prayer and reflection on Saturday before resuming the voting.
© Thomson Reuters 2013
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