Thursday, May 8

The Catholic Church's conclave has begun, with black smoke emerging from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel last night to signal that they have not chosen a pope yet.

A conclave is a meeting of the entire Catholic Church, with all cardinals gathering to take a vote on who will become the next pope. The conclave takes place inside the Sistine Chapel, and the cardinals release a certain color of smoke through the temporary chimney to signal their progress on choosing a new pope. A two-thirds majority is required to elect the pope, meaning that it may take days, weeks, or even months.

This year, 133 cardinals took their first vote yesterday inside the Chapel, and black smoke was released to signal that a pope was not chosen. White smoke, on the other hand, would signal that a pope has been chosen.

Now, the conclave will continue, with four rounds of voting every day until a new pope is chosen. The past two conclaves have ended within two days, but there is no way to know when this one might end. Additionally, the cardinals must stay inside the Vatican with no external communication with anyone or anything-- their internet access is also blocked during this time.

Once a pope is chosen, the cardinals are sworn to secrecy about the entire conclave, meaning that the only thing the public can know is who they chose.

Fact of the Day (BBC): Water is not considered wet. This is because most scientists define wetness as a liquid’s ability to maintain contact with a solid surface, meaning that water itself is not wet, but can make other objects wet.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Keep in mind that the true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good. (Ann Landers)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Bumptious (adj, BUMP-shus) - Bumptious describes people who are rudely and often noisily confident or over-assertive. It can also be applied to actions or behaviors that show this same attitude.

In a Sentence: Our host apologized for the bumptious party guest who caused a scene before being asked to leave.