Benedict's "eyes fixed" on Vatican, conclave coverage
(CBS News) The second day of the papal conclave to elect a new pope is underway in Rome and after two rounds of voting, no pope has been chosen. In the 2005 conclave that brought Pope Benedict XVI to the pontificate, the cardinals chose then-Cardinal Ratzinger to succeed Pope John Paul II on the second day of voting.
Father Thomas Rosica, the Vatican's deputy press secretary, told "CBS This Morning" that no matter the duration of the conclave, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI remains glued to the media coverage from the Vatican.
"I was with Pope Benedict's secretary last night," Rosica said. "Archbishop Ganswein told us that the Holy Father is watching everything on TV. He watched the mass yesterday morning. He watched the ceremony from the Sistine Chapel... he had his eyes fixed on the chimney."
Rosica explained that the 115 voting cardinals will take their time, and added that they have a "very clear idea... of what is required, who is required" to address "important questions" within the Church following a week of meetings that preceded the conclave. He added that the first vote typically involves a "wide field of names" and the vote Wednesday morning likely served to "narrow down the set of names.
Delia Gallagher, a CBS News Vatican consultant and senior editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, said that while the last six conclaves have lasted an average of just 1.8 days, the current conclave "may go into tomorrow."
"This time," she said, "it does seem a little more wide open with the candidates."