VATICAN CITY - It was another false alarm -- but for more than a minute Tuesday, thousands of pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square thought the world had a new pope and ran toward the basilica hoping to be the first to catch a glimpse of him.
"We really thought we had it," said Brother Eldi, a brown-robed Capuchin monk from Brazil, camera at the ready.
The puff of light grey smoke -- later to turn black indicating that the cardinals holding a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel had again failed to elect a pope -- emerged just as the basilica's bells was striking the noon hour.
The tolling bells deepened the confusion, since a successful vote is to be accompanied by bells as well as white smoke.
"It was a great emotion," said Carlos Francisco Alejo Oramas, a seminary student from Mexico. "There were the bells as well."
Eldi's fellow monk, Brother Leonel from Nicaragua, was content with the deadlock in the chapel. "It reflects the fact that God works slowly but surely," he said. "This too is the wisdom of the Church, that it doesn't rush things."
Many of the pilgirms, clergy, ordinary tourists and Romans said they would be back Tuesday afternoon when another smoke signal is expected, the result of burning the cardinals' inconclusive ballots and discarded notes.
"I hope they'll elect a pope today, because I have to leave tomorrow," said Manuel Delmestro from the northern Italian city of Turin.
Mike Briggs from Richmond, Virginia, said he had promised his colleagues back home to return with a picture of the white smoke. "If I go back without it, I'm history," said Briggs.
The same excitement swept the crowd of more than 20,000 Monday evening, when many believed the first puffs of grey smoke announced the election of the 264th successor of Saint Peter.
Some have traveled from across the world to stand in the square waiting for the 115 cardinals to announce their choice to succeed pope John Paul II, who died April 2 aged 84.
Father Robert McCulloch, who works as a missionary in Karachi, Pakistan, said he has always wanted to be at the Vatican during the conclave.
"Think of how many people have stood here on this square for hundreds and hundreds of years waiting for a new pope," said the Australian priest. "You can really feel the bells of history ringing."
Nearby, the Ostzisk family from western Germany, also travelled specially for the conclave.
"It's a historic moment," said Agnes Ostzisk, who plans to stay in a tent with her husband and daughter for the duration of the conclave.
Meanwhile vendors have caught on to the new needs of the crowd: rather than rosaries, many were selling binoculars Tuesday.
04/19/2005 12:03 GMT