EYES are riveted once again on a simple chimney pipe rising above a sublime Renaissance chapel after Catholic cardinals failed to elect a new leader for their 1.2 billion-strong Church in three ballots.
The 115 cardinals kicked off their conclave in the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday to find a successor to Benedict XVI, who brought a troubled eight-year papacy to an abrupt end by resigning last month aged 85.
The chimney disgorged black smoke after Wednesday's first two voting sessions and after Tuesday's first ballot, indicating that no one had gained the two-thirds majority needed to become the 266th pope.
A successful result would be signalled immediately by white smoke and followed soon afterwards with the famous announcement in Latin, Habemus Papam (We Have a Pope).
The failed ballots deepened the suspense as no clear frontrunner has emerged, although conjecture has coalesced around three favourites: Italy's Angelo Scola, Brazil's Odilo Scherer and Canada's Marc Ouellet, all conservatives like Benedict.
Some analysts suggest that Benedict's dramatic act - the first papal resignation in over 700 years - could push the cardinals to take an equally unusual decision and that an outsider could emerge as a compromise candidate.
Hopes are high in the Philippines for the popular archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle, and on the African continent for South Africa's Wilfrid Napier, the archbishop of Durban, but in practice their chances are slim.
Whatever hopes Vienna Archbishop Christoph Schoenborn may have, his mother did him no favours by telling the Austrian press that the job of pope "would be much too difficult" for him.
US President Barack Obama also chimed in on Wednesday, saying an American pope could be just as effective as any other, before quipping: "But the (US) conference of Catholic bishops ... don't seem to be taking orders from me."
Tens of thousands of people gathered in a rainy St Peter's Square on Wednesday, huddled under umbrellas to gaze up at the chimney pipe for the only information obtainable from the secret voting conclave.
"There's a great atmosphere, we're not just waiting for white smoke, we're waiting to see a leader emerge who can open up the Church to the modern world," said Jean Chiche, who had come with his wife and daughter from Paris.
The scandal of sexual abuse of children by pedophile priests going back decades - and the cover-up of their actions by senior prelates - has also cast a long shadow on the Church.
The US group SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) called for over a dozen cardinals to be excluded from the conclave either for covering up abuses or making tactless remarks about the scandals.
The Vatican on Wednesday defended the cardinals and accused SNAP and other activists of showing "negative prejudices".
"None of us are surprised that they have tried to take advantage of these days to repeat their accusations and give them greater resonance," Lombardi said.
"These cardinals should be respected and have every right to be in the conclave," he said.
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