Good morning. At 10am yesterday, the cardinals of the Catholic church gathered for mass in St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. In the afternoon, the 133 who are eligible electors went to the Sistine Chapel, handed over their smartphones and swore an oath of secrecy, perhaps knowing that signal jammers will block any communication with the outside world in any case. A few hours later, they took the first vote on choosing the successor to Pope Francis. We know because at 9pm, two hours later than expected, the black smoke went up – which also means their deliberations continue.
A process famous for its arcane trappings is also a thoroughly modern electoral battle. But that description, and the hilarious fact that the movie Conclave has helped shape our cultural understanding of what happens next, omits the fact that it is also a matter of the utmost spiritual seriousness to those taking part, who hope that the Holy Spirit will guide them collectively to make the best choice for the church and its more than a billion members.
