At precisely 6:08 on Thursday evening, as the blazing Roman sun virtually blinded the tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims crammed into the streets around St. Peter’s Square, a puff of white smoke rose from the rooftop of the Sistine Chapel.
The plume came only 24 hours and a few minutes after the start of the secret conclave voting sessions. The remarkably speedy election suggested that the new pope had the edge from the get-go – a coronation in effect. But since the cardinals swore an oath of secrecy, the world may never know if the race was tighter than it appeared.
But who was the winner?
The world would not know until about an hour later. His name was announced over the Vatican loudspeakers, but it was garbled. Everyone heard, or thought they had heard, “Robert Francis,” triggering a flurry of questions: “Did I hear that right?” “Not an Italian pope?” “Robert …