Watch CBS News

Historic Papal Conclave Begins

Cardinals from six continents began their secret sessions behind the massive doors of the Sistine Chapel on Monday, convening the new millennium's first conclave to elect a pope who will guide the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics into a new era.

The doors to the chapel decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo and wired with electronic jamming devices to thwart eavesdropping were ceremonially shut, leaving the 115 voting "princes" of the church to decide whether to hold their first round of voting or to wait until Tuesday.

Before sequestering themselves inside the chapel, the cardinals read out an oath of secrecy led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who stood before a large crucifix adorned with a golden Jesus. One by one, they filed up to a Book of the Gospels, placed their right hands on it and pronounced a second oath to keep secret their deliberations to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84.

Ratzinger — a powerful Vatican official from Germany often mentioned as a leading papal candidate — recited a prayer at the palace before the cardinals chanted the Litany of the Saints while making the short walk to the chapel.

The cardinals were led by altar servers carrying two long, lit white candles and a metal crucifix. They walked past a pair of Swiss Guards in red plumed hats standing at attention at the entrance to the chapel and took two steps into the voting area, where electronic jamming devices were installed to thwart any eavesdropping in an unprecedented effort to secure the proceedings.

Before the procession began, Ratzinger asked for prayers from the church that a pastor fit to lead all of Christ's flock would be elected.

"May the Lord lead our steps on the path of truth, so that through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and of all the saints, we may always do that which is pleasing to him," he said in Latin.

Although the conclave could last for days, a pope could be chosen as early as Monday afternoon if the prelates opt to begin casting ballots.

If they decide to wait a day, they will hold four rounds of voting — two in the morning, two in the afternoon — on Tuesday and every day until a candidate gets two-thirds support: 77 votes. If they remain deadlocked late in the second week of voting, they can vote to change the rules so a winner can be elected with a simple majority: 58 votes.

"It reminds me so much of the political conventions that we used to have in this country before we went to the primary system to select our candidates," said CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer.

"There aren't parties in the same sense that we think of political parties," said CBS News Analyst Father Paul Robichaud. "But there are groups within the college of cardinals that have very specific concerns, concerns about the third world, concerns about the value and culture of life, concerns specifically about war and peace, concerns about the role of women, concerns about abortion, birth control."

Before sequestering themselves in the Sistine Chapel late Monday afternoon, the cardinals celebrated a midmorning Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. In his homily, Ratzinger spoke about the waves ever fashion and novelty that toss the faithful about and urged his fellow electors to elect a pope who will remain true to the church doctrine, reports CBS News Correspondent John Roberts.

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists were expected to converge on St. Peter's Square to watch the chapel chimney for the white smoke that ultimately will tell the world that the church's 265th pontiff has been elected. The famous stove in the chapel also will billow black smoke to signal any inconclusive round of voting.

"I feel really cool being here," said Kathy Mullen, 49, a writer from Beverly, Mass., who was among hundreds of pilgrims lining up early on a sunny morning to pass through metal detectors on their way into the basilica.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said smoke from burned ballot papers enhanced by special chemicals likely could be seen at about noon (6 a.m. EDT) and about 7 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) on each day of voting by the cardinal electors, all of whom are under age 80. At some point soon after the new pope is chosen, the Vatican also will ring bells.

The prelates agreed after John Paul II's funeral not to talk publicly about the process, but the world's news media have been rife with speculation centering on about two dozen candidates considered "papabile," Italian for "pope material."

"I think you're going to see them looking at, for a personality that is extremely charismatic. Where that comes from, whether from Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, I really don't know," said Monsignor Kevin McCoy, the rector of the North American College in Rome, on CBS News' The Early Show.

Whoever the next pope is, a found that a majority of American Catholics believe he should admit women into the priesthood (60 percent), allow priests to marry (65 percent) and end the ban on artificial birth control (69 percent).

"I know that the cardinals, at least in one sense, certainly have had some conversations about all of those concerns and many other concerns," McCoy told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith. "But they have to be concerned for the entire world."

"This new pope is going to be faced with many new challenges that go far beyond the western world," he said.

Cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo, an Italian who at 86 is too old to vote, told Italian state radio Sunday he was confident the conclave would be guided to the right man.

"Providence sends a pope for every era," he said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.