First there was a cheer, then a rush to leave St Peter’s Square. No one had thought a pope would be elected on the first day of the conclave but most had expected to be home for dinner.
The black smoke finally emerged from the chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 9pm, more than two hours later than expected. It was the end of a long day, with maybe a few more ahead, but the faithful were undeterred. Many had waited most of the afternoon and well into the evening, watching the opening ceremonials of the conclave to elect the 267th pope on large screens.
The chimney, connected by a flue to the stove where the first ballots cast were consumed by flames, was sometimes hard to see as rays from the sinking sun half-blinded the smoke-watchers’ eyes, causing much squinting and shielding.
One couple drank from bottles of pre-mixed Aperol Spritz as they waited. Some comforted fractious infants; a few sank to the floor to rest their tired feet. Some had dressed for the occasion – nuns in habits, priests in cassocks, a few courageous women wearing high heels on the Vatican’s cobbles. Some brought their dogs, causing a potential trip hazard in the crowd. They waited, but most knew they were waiting in vain.
“It would be very unusual – impossible – for them to come to a decision on the first day,” said Max Santini, a Perugian businessman in Rome for the day. He had been “born and raised a Roman Catholic”, although said he rarely went to church these days. But he still nurtured hopes for the next pope.
“I’d like to see someone from a different continent – why not Africa or Asia? But it will probably be an Italian. I don’t mind too much, but I wouldn’t like a conservative pope.”
Earlier, as the opening ceremony of the conclave was broadcast in the square, processions of the devout lined up behind large wooden crosses bearing the image of Jesus. As they entered the square, holding their palms together in prayer, they occasionally merged with a tour group wearing identical bright baseball caps or neckerchiefs.
Inside the Sistine Chapel, under Michelangelo’s sublime frescoes, 133 cardinals clad in scarlet and white lace queued up to swear their oaths of secrecy. The men, nearly all in their 60s and 70s, then took their places at assigned desks, on which were placed a pile of ballot paper on which to write the name of their preferred successor to Pope Francis.
With the words “extra omnes” – everyone out – priests and officials left, filing out between two Swiss Guards. The doors closed with loud thuds, the crowd clapped and the cardinals were left alone with their burden.
Waiting for the smoke was Koko, who had travelled from Togo to witness the moment. Five hundred people attend his church back home every Sunday, and he was praying for an African pope. “There are many Catholics in Africa, why not have a pope that’s one of us?” he said.
Nearby, Miguel Avina, wrapped in a Mexican flag, had brought his mother from their home in Michoacán because “we are real Catholics, and we care about the next pope”. He would like to see Luis Antonio Tagle, a progressive cardinal from the Philippines, elected. “He’s a great man, just like Papa Francisco.”
Marianne, from Kilkenny in Ireland, was in Rome on holiday but determined not to miss a glimpse of history in the making. “It’s pretty special to be here,” she said, using a word repeated by many others.
“I hope the man they choose is as good as Francis, that would be OK,” she said. “The way he supported the poor, and wasn’t into pomp and ceremony – I kind of liked that.”
She was not abandoning plans to see the Colosseum and other gems of the Eternal City, but was hoping to return to St Peter’s Square in between sightseeing. But she didn’t expect a result before flying home on Friday. “I won’t be changing my plans,” she said.
A group of young Spanish men, intending to follow the grandeur of Rome with the glories of Florence, were also happy to find their long-planned trip coincided with the opening of the conclave.
Julio Rodrigues – from a Catholic background, but not religious – said: “Not many people get to see this in person. It’s pretty special.”
As the black smoke drifted into a darkening sky, people headed for the gaps in the barriers to get out of the square. Somewhere, out of sight, the cardinals were also heading back to Casa Santa Marta, their home for the duration, perhaps looking forward to dinner, a glass or two of wine, and a chance to reflect on the day. Maybe the smoke will be white tomorrow.