Black smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signalling an inconclusive first vote in the most globally diverse conclave in Roman Catholic Church history. The 133 cardinal electors, drawn from 70 countries, began the sacred and secretive process of choosing a new spiritual leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, following the death of Pope Francis last month.
Thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s
