In the conclave to choose the successor of Pope Francis, the cardinals have the task of reaching a consensus. After three days without a decision, a day of pause is taken for prayer. If a new pope is elected, white smoke is emitted; otherwise, the smoke would be black.
Among the favorite cardinals to become pope are Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Budapest; Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and in charge of the Vatican finances; Robert Sarah, with chances of being the first pope of African origin; Luis Tagle, of Filipino origin; and Matteo Zuppi, close to Francis.
After the first voting of the conclave, black smoke was emitted, indicating that there is no two-thirds majority to elect the successor. The cardinals will continue voting, with two votes expected in the morning and another two in the afternoon. If a new pope is elected, white smoke will be seen before the scheduled hours.
The election process involves the cardinals gathering in the Sistine Chapel, voting up to four times a day. 89 votes are required for a cardinal to be elected as the new pope, and the rules state that they cannot vote for themselves and must clearly write a single name, preceded by a prayer.
