Black Smoke Rises From Vatican, Signaling No Pope Yet

A statue dwarfs the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel where cardinals will gather to elect the new pope during the conclave at the Vatican, Monday, March 11, 2013.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke has poured from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that cardinals have failed to elect a pope on their first try.

The cardinals held the first day of the conclave Tuesday deeply divided over the problems of the church and who best among them could fix them following the stunning resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican made clear it didn’t expect a winner on the first ballot.

The cardinals now return to the Vatican’s Santa Marta hotel for the night. They return to the Apostolic Palace for Mass Wednesday morning and a new round of voting.

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