Hi, I'm Anderson Cooper, welcome topodcast. Pom but no pope inside day 1 of the secret conclave, let's getstarted.

The first day of the conclave to elect thenext Pope, we're going to have complete coverage of all the day's remarkableevents. There is, however, breaking news at this hour, involving one of the cardinalsright down the street behind me. Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles. We're learning tonight that thechurch has settle four lawsuits against the archdiocese that he ran and atleast one lawsuit name him as defendant. Four men allegedly abuse boyscollecting near 10 million dollars total. They said they were abused by apriest during the 70s, 6 years ago, that priest pleaded guilty of molestingboys. He did time, he is no longer a priest, he is not alone.

Nor is cardinal Maloney, of course, theonly high-ranking church official accused of protecting predators, there aremany around the world, and several, Maloney included, are here in Rome about tospend another day trying to elect a Pope. They secluded right now, sworn tosecrecy, their only mean to communication, the color of the smoke from theballots they burn, the chemicals they add to let the world know whether we havea Pope or not, a black or white answer, so today the first ballots burned andthe answer went up in smoke, black smoke, no decision. Chances are though, thefield has been narrowed somewhat, chances are a handful of man went to bed lastnight thinking it could be me or it might actually be me. A mind-blowing way toend a day that was historic and fascinating, right from the start.

Into St Peter's they came, the man, almostcertainly one of these of cardinals who would be Pope and the man who willchoose him. Side by side, step by step, some vital, some feeble toward a massnot seen in eight years. Since last Pope was elected, at a moment not seen in598 years, the succession of one living Pope by another.

A mass for cardinals, but also the masses.People waiting hours to get in for a ceremony that last time was given by theman who arrived as cardinal then emerged as a Pope.

"The beloved and venerable PontiffBenedict the 16th, to whom we renew in this moment all of our gratitude."

"Applause and praise that Benedict didnot hear, at least not in person. He is in seclusion at the people's Papel'ssummer residence."

As for the man praising him and presidingthis time, cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican's Dean of cardinals, he is over80, too old to help choose a Pope or in likelihood to be chosen himself. As forwhom among them might be, those who say publicly don't really know. And thosewho might know, the cardinals, they left St.Peter's and in one last moment, inplain view, retreated inside the Sistine Chapel when they took an oath.

Then uttering extra on this, outside allthe Vatican officials closed the doors and thecardinals got to work. All day, people waited in the rain, for the mass, forthe cardinals, for a chance to see, perhaps a new Pope.

"I think it's wonderful, I thinkBenedict was a great Pope, and I think everyone is very excited to see who thenext Pope will be, so, it's great anticipation, wondering it's going to be howdifferent and how much the same he will be."

As the evening deepen, the crowds grew, alleyes on the chimney from the stove, where the papal ballots are burn, theywould signal white smoke for a Pope, and black, for not yet.

"If we got white smoke tonight, Iwould be stunned at one level, but on the heels of what we've already witnessedin the last month and then another, that would be a certain poetic art to doit."

Poetic, perhaps, but not to be, evenagainst a dim night sky, the answer, this time, was plain as day.