As white smoke anticipation builds over the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican’s chimney cam is back online and so are the ever-curious seagulls perched atop it.
While the world watches for the signal of a new Pope, Italian media is abuzz with speculation, odd trivia, and surprise contenders in what could be one of the most unpredictable papal elections in recent history.
With the live “chimney cam” back in action, the Vatican’s ancient ritual of papal selection has collided with 21st-century digital obsession, as millions await the billowing of white smoke — the age-old signal that a new pontiff has been chosen. Until then, however, viewers must settle for an endless loop of birds, brick, and building suspense.
While no smoke emerged after the first round of voting, speculation has intensified around several high-profile contenders. Among the frontrunners: Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Bologna Archbishop Matteo Zuppi, both Italian heavyweights; Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle; Ghana’s Peter Turkson; and Hungarian Archbishop Péter Erdő.
Yet seasoned Vatican watchers caution against betting on the obvious. As the saying goes, “He who enters the conclave as Pope, leaves as a cardinal.” Historically, many presumed favorites fall out of favor in the labyrinthine rounds of voting, where compromise and the Holy Spirit are believed to guide the process.
That hasn’t stopped the media, particularly in Italy, from digging up colorful stories and curiosities. Corriere della Sera turned heads today by highlighting a rising dark horse in the form of Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Once relatively obscure, his candidacy now glimmers with possibility so much so that one headline cheekily noted that “until a month ago, his cousin, a former footballer and a rare Panini sticker, was more famous.”
As the conclave proceeds in solemn secrecy, the rest of the world clings to smoke signals, soundbites, and seagulls with the final outcome known only to the cardinals behind closed doors. For now, all eyes remain fixed on the chimney and the centuries-old symbol of change it might soon produce.
