Kindergarten students at Roanoke Catholic School are participating in a mock conclave to learn about the process for selecting a new pope.
The children, donning red construction paper “Berettas” and playing the part of roman Catholic cardinals, converted their classrooms into the Sistine Chapel, casting ballots for their choice for pope. Small paper ballots were given to each student.
The secret votes were placed into the “chalice”, and were then tallied and recorded. The small “chimney” outside the classroom door today is showing black “smoke” (tissue paper), indicating that the Kindergarten cardinals have not yet reached the two-thirds consensus required for a new pope to be elected.
The “conclave” will continue throughout the week, until white “smoke” appears! A white mitre awaits the head of the newly elected Kindergarten Pope.
