by Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Despite the rain, thousands of people filled St. Peter’s Square after dark March 12, the first evening of the conclave, to witness the black smoke that signaled the Catholic Church’s 115 cardinal electors had failed, as expected, to elect a pope on the first ballot.

The smoke started billowing out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 7:41 p.m.

“You don’t want to be in Rome and miss this,” said Rebecca Thompson, who lives in New York. Her friend Kasia Twarowska, originally from Krakow, Poland, said, “Nothing can stop people from coming here – not even the rain. Everyone is blessed to be in Rome at this time.”

Three hours earlier, invoking the aid of the Holy Spirit and the holy men and women from all over the world recognized as saints, the cardinals processed slowly into the Sistine Chapel to begin the process to elect a pope.

Once in the chapel, the cardinals from 48 countries vowed that, if elected pope, they would faithfully fulfill the ministry of universal pastor of the Church and would defend the rights and freedom of the Holy See.

They also solemnly swore to scrupulously follow the rules for the election of a pope and keep secret the results of the votes, unless they have express permission from the new pope to reveal details.

After reciting the oath together, each cardinal walked up to the Book of the Gospels, put his right hand on it, said his name and sealed his oath, “So help me God and these holy Gospels that I touch with my hand.”

The portion filmed by Vatican television ended with Msgr. Guido Marini, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, saying, “Extra omnes,” ordering out everyone not authorized to remain.

Among those staying behind was 87-year-old Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech, an Augustinian priest and expert on the fathers of the early Church. The cardinals had chosen him to give a meditation “on the problems facing the church” and “on the need for careful discernment in choosing the new pope.”