Papal conclave begins 2nd day of voting to elect new pope

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - The papal conclave on Thursday began the second day of voting to elect a new pope.

The day started with 133 elector cardinals attending a mass in the Pauline Chapel around 8 a.m. local time (0600 GMT).

The cardinals then proceeded to the Sistine Chapel, where they resumed the voting.

Unlike yesterday, which included only one ballot, the second day allows for up to four voting rounds, two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

According to the Italian state-run ANSA news agency, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who chairs the conclave as he did in 2013 that elected Pope Francis, said he hopes the new pope will be elected today, leading to white smoke from the Sistine Chapel.