Black smoke is rising from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City for a second time, signifying to the world that the cardinals assembled inside have failed to elect a new pope for the Roman Catholic Church.
The smoke, blackened by special chemicals, indicates that no cardinal has won a two-thirds majority, or 77 votes, of the 115 eligible cardinals to become the next pontiff.
The cardinals responsible for electing the leader of the 1.1 billion Church will meet again Tuesday afternoon to continue their secret deliberations. They have up to 12 days to decide on a successor to the late Pope John Paul the Second.
If no new pope has been chosen today, the 115 voting cardinals from six continents will have as many as four opportunities Wednesday to choose a new leader for the Catholic church.
Information for this report is provided by AP and Reuters.
