Black smoke poured today from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel as 133 Cardinals from across the globe began in earnest the process of selecting the next pontiff.

As expected, the smoke signifies the Cardinals could not reach a two-thirds consensus on the first ballot.

Before the vote, church leaders gathered for a final mass.

When does my new story? Before the vote, church leaders gathered for a final mass.

Extra ominous.

Then with a ceremonial Latin declaration, the chapel was cleared, the doors were closed, and the group began one of the most secretive elections in the world.

The Cardinals will be considering a number of difficult and sometimes divisive issues.

Survivors have also called on the Cardinals to consider the history of sexual abuse and the church's conduct in the past when crimes have been covered up and priests have too often been protected.

Peter Isley, a founding member of SNAP, the Survivor's Network of those abused by priests,

is in Rome. He spoke to us as the conclave began about demanding accountability and a new

path forward that his group calls zero tolerance. Zero tolerance means two things.

One, any priest or cleric where it has been determined that he has sexually assaulted or abused a child

is permanently removed from the priesthood.

Secondly, zero tolerance means accountability.

It means that any church official, cardinal, or bishop, that has been,

again, determined after investigation, that he has covered up sexual abuse crimes of children,

that he has obstructed justice in the countries where these crimes are occurring, that he can

no longer function as an authority or an official in the Catholic Church.

Eisley also said he's concerned the next Pope may also have a history of too easily ignoring past

abuse or not being transparent enough, but he hopes the successor to Francis may feel pressure

to meaningfully change the Vatican's approach.

You ought to be optimistic. You have to be hopeful.

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