00:00This is one of the most secretive processes in history, isn't it? It's fascinating, the conclave.
00:05Yes, it is. Good morning. It's very exciting. So yes, it is extremely secretive. And in fact,
00:11they've been sweeping the Sistine Chapel, making sure that there's no
00:16bugging, there's no telecommunications devices. All the cardinals who will be in the conclave
00:23are having to take a very solemn oath and vow of secrecy, that they're not going to share
00:30anything that's discussed. And in fact, breaking that vow of secrecy comes with a sentence of
00:38excommunication, which is the most grave penalty that the church can offer. So that's sort of the
00:47first thing that happens when they process in around about four o'clock. Well, I think it'll
00:51be three o'clock UK time. It's four o'clock Vatican time that they'll process in. And then the dean
00:59of the College of Cardinals will say exit omnes, which means everybody out. The doors will be
01:06sealed. I don't know if you know if the word conclave means with key, which is where the term
01:12comes from, the Latin con with clave key. And then they'll begin voting. And the first vote is expected,
01:20as Eamon said, to take place around about four o'clock. So that's, again, bear in mind,
01:25they're an hour ahead. That's three o'clock our time. And we can expect to see the first smoke
01:31at around 5pm this evening. And as you said, it's likely to be black smoke. It's very unlikely that
01:39they'll have unanimity on a candidate this evening. And then voting really begins in earnest tomorrow.
01:45So there'll be four rounds of voting a day. I think it's two in the morning,
01:51two in the afternoon, until we have a candidate.
01:55Is there talk, Caroline? Are you hearing anything about where that candidate is likely to emerge from,
02:03what the conclave is looking for?
02:05It is a very interesting question. And I would always preface that with a caveat.
02:13There's a saying, he who goes into the conclave as a pope comes out as a cardinal.
02:20I mean, we've got some, you know, various runners and riders. And it's difficult to know whether or not
02:29the conclave is going to go for a continuity candidate, you know, someone who very much wants
02:37to follow Pope Francis' footsteps. And there's a number of people like that. Say, for example,
02:44Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who's the Vatican Secretary of State, he was the favourite. He was France's number
02:51two. He was sort of essentially like the Prime Minister of the Holy See. He's very diplomatic.
02:58He's experienced. He's fluent in multiple languages. And he's, you know, the top continuity candidate.
03:04But he might be seen as kind of too institutional or politically cautious. So, yeah, he's one.
03:11Or, you know, there's another front rider emerging who I just think has a lovely name.
03:17I don't know if you've heard of this guy. Cardinal Pierre Battista Pizzabella.
03:23And everyone keeps saying, you know, if he's elected, he should take the papal name John,
03:28because then he'd be like Papa John. And he's been the pizza. Exactly, exactly. And he's been
03:39overseeing. He's been in charge. He's the archbishop, sorry, the cardinal in Jerusalem in
03:44the Holy Land. And he very famously, after October the 8th, offered to trade places. He said,
03:52take me and release the hostages. And he's got to, you know, so that's really enamored him,
03:59you know, to many people, because that was such an act of deep courage and sacrifice.
04:06He's got a deep knowledge of interfaith dialogue, particularly with Jews and Muslims having been
04:11in the Holy Land. So that could be seen as advantageous. And, you know, he's again known
04:18for his deep humility and courage. And he's quite young as well. So if he were elected,
04:25you know, we'd be looking at a long papacy. So it's whether or not the cardinals want to go for
04:32somebody that they know will be the Pope for a very long time, or whether or not they want to go
04:37for someone who's older, who maybe won't be around all that long. Just because Francis was such a
04:44reforming Pope, I think it all rides on whether or not they want to, you know, carry on with that.
04:50Or there's a lot of talk about whether or not they want to go for a more conservative candidate.
04:54Yeah.
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