World watches for smoke as cardinals begin second day of conclave LIVE VIDEO - Monitor scenes from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, which will emit white or black smoke to signal if a new pope has been elected. ROME - The world awaited smoke from the Sistine Chapel's chimney on Wednesday as Roman Catholic cardinals began their second day of choosing a new pope. Thick black smoke poured from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel about 7:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, signifying the 115 cardinal-electors had not reached a two-thirds majority on who should be the next spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. Shut off from the outside world without access to phones or television, the cardinals spent the night in their accommodation at Casa Santa Marta before returning to to the Sistine Chapel Wednesday. Their discussions were scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. As the conclave got under way Tuesday, the cardinals' electronic devices were jammed to prevent any communication with the outside world. They will convene again on Wednesday. Voting in silence, the cardinals were expected to hold their first ballot about an hour later. If no decision is reached, there will be no smoke and another ballot will take place at about 12 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) that will be followed by smoke whatever the decision. If required, a similar process will be repeated later Wednesday, with the final ballot of the day expected at around 7 p.m. ET) if no decision is reach sooner. Despite torrential rain, hundreds of tourists were in St. Peter's Square watching the chimney for signs of smoke. "We feel the world watching at this exciting time for the church," said Father Peter Verity, English priest and spiritual director of Rome's Beda College, in his homily at Mass at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Wall early Wednesday. 'Hairs standing on end' Among the dawn worshippers in the congregation were visiting pilgrims Julie Knight, 50, from Indianapolis, and her husband Karl. "There's a real sense of occasion in the city," she said. I can feel my hairs standing on end, it's an incredible feeling. The smoke is created by the burning of ballot papers used by the cardinals in their deciding vote, with chemical cartridges being added to ensure the smoke appears either black or white - in the latter case, a sign that a decision has been reached. None of the 115 cardinals will be seen or heard, nor will they have any contact with the outside world, until they have chosen a successor to Benedict XVI, who abdicated on Feb. 28. On purpose and by chance, Americans join crowd in St. Peter's Square to watch for signs of a newly elected pope. Shortly after Tuesday's conclave began there was a brief drama in St Peter's Square when semi-naked Ukrainian feminists with the words "pope no more" written on their chests and backs staged a protest before being tackled by police and detained. It is a church tradition that began in 1268 when local officials became so fed up with the lack of a decision among cardinals - they had deliberated for more than two years - that they locked them away with limited food and water to enco Pope Benedict XVI was elected within barely 24 hours in 2005 after just four rounds of voting. This story was originally published on Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:14 AM EDT