Cardinals Again Fail to Elect New Pope

[Scurrilous]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20050419/ap_on_re_eu/pope&sid=84439559

<snip>

"Black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney again Tuesday as the scarlet-robed cardinals inside failed in two more ballots to elect a new pope to build on John Paul II's legacy and heal deep rifts within the Roman Catholic Church.

Several thousand pilgrims and tourists who packed St. Peter's Square to stare at the slender stovepipe jutting from the chapel's brown tiled rooftop gasped when the smoke appeared just before noon. The 115 voting cardinals sequestered in the chapel broke for lunch and reconvened in midafternoon for the day's final session of secret balloting.

White smoke — and the pealing of bells shortly afterward — eventually will tell the world that the church's 265th pontiff has been chosen to succeed John Paul, who died April 2 at age 84.

The smoke Tuesday morning confused onlookers for the second time in two days. But this time bells added to the uncertainty as well."

[Worst Username Ever]

1. Are they going to do this after every vote?

The vote up to 4 times a day and this can go on for months. Are they going to report it EVERY time?

[Bridget Burke]

2. Yes.

It probably won't go on for months. However, this is a big story.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. There's a limit to it

They elect a Pope with a 2/3rds majority of votes. They can try, and fail, up to 30 times. Then they go to a simple majority (50%).

They have two weeks' time for their first 30 votes. Then, if the voting is not concluded within a month, the world is destroyed by detonating the P (Pope) Bomb.

(I made that last part up.)

--p!

[Worst Username Ever]

4. Awesome, thanks!

I didn't know there was a two-week limit, thanks for the explanation.

[yellowcanine]

6. They CAN go to a simple majority, they don't have to. Personally,

I doubt that they would take that step unless the process drags on for a month or so. It would be real bad to have a 51%-49% Pope. Almost as bad as having a 5-4 President.

[TahitiNut]

10. Agreed. They pray for God to 'inform' their choices.

It wouldn't be good for God to 'inform' them all differently.

[LibDemAlways]

7. John Paul II came up with the 50% rule,

and I heard a priest say last night on Nightline it's a bad idea because all a slim majority has to do is hang tight until the 50% rule
kicks in and then they are assured of getting their guy elected. Takes away the incentive to work toward a consensus.

[tabasco]

5. Beats workin' !

They probaly have full inboxes back where they came from.

[maxsolomon]

8. those damn activist cardinals

their filibustering is obstructing the installation of another infallable, celibate monotheist as the head of the roman empire's ghost.

[Liberal Veteran]

9. Perhaps they should appeal to the Supreme Court?

I'm sure they'd be more than happy to intervene and stop the counting.