When should we look for white smoke Until a pope is elected twice a day there will be black smoke around noon and 7 PM White smoke could appear at these times or earlier around 10 30 AM or 4 30 PM if a pope is elected on the first ballot of the morning or afternoon Read Father Reese 39 s full Q

Cambridge MA The world around me is uneasy and in dire straits the Pope resigns Congress remains dysfunctional the environment is increasingly out of balance and so many people live in situations of terrible deprivation And still I persist in blogging through Lent not on these timely issues

The number 77 is a bella figura, an American buzz, and the smoke next time The cardinals will celebrate a Mass for the election of a Roman pontiff on Tuesday morning, March 12, in St. Peter’s Basilica and that afternoon will begin the conclave, says a report Friday from Vatican Radio. Needed for election are 77 votes, said Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican press secretary. This weekend, the cardinals will meet in General Congregation again on Saturday morning and on Sunday many are expected to visit their Roman churches and celebrate Mass.

From USA Today ROME shy mdash Finally at least one wait is over The conclave to select the next leader of the world 39 s 1 2 billion Catholics will begin Tuesday Vatican officials said Friday capping a week of meetings among cardinals that created a stir due to leaks and an eventual press bla

North Korean stalwart China joined the United States in a unanimous U N Security Council vote for tougher sanctions against North Korea on March 8 targeting the secretive nation 39 s nuclear program Just hours before the Kim regime in Pyongyang threatened a possible quot preemptive nuclear att

Sam Roberts reports in this morning rsquo s New York Times that come this fall the International Herald Tribune will be re-branded as the International New York Times This is the last stage in a long and inevitable transformation The IHT as it is known has been partly or wholly owned by the Time