At 3.30pm today Irish time, the Conclave to select the 167th Pope will begin behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel.
But how soon will the 133 cardinals come to a conclusion and send up white smoke?
Vatican correspondent for global Catholic television network EWTN Colm Flynn told Newstalk Breakfast that this is expected to be a “relatively short” Conclave.
“They’re only going to do one vote today, I think just to gauge the temperature of the body, see how they’re feeling,” he said.
“Then at around seven, everyone will be in Saint Peter’s Square, myself included, looking at that chimney.
"We expect to see black smoke today and then it will roll into tomorrow.
“They can have four votes tomorrow, but we could have white smoke today, you just never know."
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Mr Floyd said that while the election could swing any way, there are still a few frontrunners in line for the papacy.
“Before anyone runs to put a bet on today, just remember, back in 2013, Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis, he was number 15 in the running, so no one saw him coming,” he said.
“You never know what’s going to happen, but Parolin is number one, [then there's] Tagle from Manila in the Phillipines, he’s seen as the Asian Pope Francis, someone who, like the Pope, grew up around a lot of poverty in Manila.
“He has those beautiful moments of humanity and he’s seen as a contender.
“Another Italian, Pizzaballa, he’s the Latin partiarch of the Holy Land, so he’s in charge at the moment over in Israel trying to bring about some sort of peace between Palestine and Israel.”
According to Mr Floyd, while there is an American contender, it is unlikely he will be chosen due to the country’s perceived status as a global superpower.
Main image: Cardinals celebrate the "Pro eligendo Romano Pontefice" mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Credit: Oliver Weiken/dpa/Alamy Live News. 7 May 2025
