Amidst the grandeur, dramatic flair, and somberness characteristic of the Catholic Church, 133 cardinals commenced on Wednesday the hallowed tradition—a secret process with roots extending over centuries—to choose a new leader following Pope Francis. This assembly marks the religion’s two-thousand-year timeline with unprecedented global diversity among participants at this historic gathering.
In the morning Mass, Dean of the College of Cardinals Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re encouraged those voting to select a Pope who values unity and disregards personal ambitions. He stated that what the world requires now is a leader capable of stirring people’s consciousnesses.
At the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, Re prayed that they could concur on “the pope that our era requires” within their concluding series of instructions prior to entering the Sistine Chapel to commence the voting process.
The cardinals hailing from 70 different nations will be isolated from the external world, handing over their cell phones and having the airwaves surrounding the Vatican disrupted to ensure they cannot communicate with anyone until they select a new head for the church which has 1.4 billion members.
Francis appointed 108 out of the 133 “princes of the church,” selecting numerous bishops who mirrored him, hailing from distant lands such as Mongolia, Sweden, and Tonga, which had never previously seen a cardinal.
By choosing to exceed the typical cap of 120 cardinal electors and including more representatives from the “Global South” – typically underrepresented nations with less economic influence – he has added an extra layer of unpredictability to a procedure that inherently brims with enigma and excitement.
The following video provides details: These are the cardinal electors responsible for choosing a new pope.
A number of them had not crossed paths until the previous week and expressed concerns that they required additional time to familiarize themselves with each other, which sparked discussions on the duration it might take for an individual to amass the requisite two-thirds majority, equating to at least 89 votes, essential for him to be elected as the Church’s 267th pontiff.
“Let’s wait and see; a bit of patience will be required, let’s wait and see,” remarked Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s representative in Syria, upon his arrival for the concluding session of the pre-vote deliberations.
A concluding Mass, followed by ‘Everyone out’
The cardinals started their day by attending a concluding pre-conclave Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, led the service with prayers aimed at helping them gain the necessary wisdom, guidance, and insight to choose an appropriate successor as pope.
Dressed in vibrant red robes, the cardinals marched along the central aisle of the basilica while the Sistine Chapel’s male choir provided musical accompaniment. They then seated themselves surrounding the principal altar, positioned atop what is traditionally believed to be Saint Peter’s tomb, who is regarded as the very first pope.
Watch the Mass live above
Re, who was 91 years old, had officiated at Francis’ funeral, giving a moving sermon that remembered the first Latin American pope in history and the transformative 12-year pontificate he led.
At 4:30 p.m. (1430 GMT; 10:30 a.m. EDT), the cardinals enter the fresco-adorned Sistine Chapel with a somber procession, reciting the contemplative ” Litany of the Saints” and the Latin hymn ” Veni Creator. ” They pray for assistance from the saints and the Holy Spirit in choosing a new pope.
Once there, they pledge to maintain secrecy about what is about to transpire and to not allow “any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention” from outsiders to influence their voting.
In front of Michelangelo’s depiction of paradise and damnation in “The Last Judgment,” every cardinal puts their hand on the Gospel and pledges to fulfill this obligation, saying, “So help me God and these holy scriptures, which I now hold.”
After that, the retired preacher of the papal household, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, delivers a meditation. The master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, calls out “Extra omnes,” Latin for “all out.” Anyone not eligible to vote then leaves and the chapel doors close, allowing the work to begin.
The cardinals aren’t required to hold an initial ballot on Wednesday, but they typically do. If no candidate gains victory, the Vatican stated that dark smoke might emerge from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney approximately at 7 p.m.
The cardinals adjourn for the evening and come back on Thursday morning. They may conduct up to two rounds of voting in the morning session followed by another pair in the afternoon session until a victor emerges.
This week, despite statements from the cardinals anticipating a brief conclave, several rounds of voting may still be required. Over the last hundred years, selecting a new pontiff typically took anywhere from three to eight votes. In 1978, Pope John Paul I was chosen as pope after just three ballots but his successor, Pope John Paul II, had to undergo eight before being selected in 1978. Similarly, when Pope Francis became pope in 2013, five ballots were necessary.
Obstacles confronting a newly elected Pope
Various hurdles confront a newly elected Pope and weigh heavily on the minds of the Cardinals, primarily the decision to either carry forward and expand upon Francisco’s progressive initiatives regarding women, LGBTQ+ inclusion, environmental concerns, and support for immigrants, or reverse these policies in an attempt to mend a Church that has grown increasingly divided throughout his tenure. Additionally, discussions leading up to the conclave were overshadowed by the ongoing clergy sexual abuse crisis.
Video below: The Process of Selecting a New Pope
Given that Francis selected 80% of the electorate, continuity seems probable, though the exact nature of this continuity remains unclear.
Consequently, pinpointing frontrunners has proven difficult. However, certain names continue to surface on lists of “papabili,” which refers to cardinals who possess the attributes suitable for becoming pope.
— Cardinal Pietro Parolin, aged 70, is an influential Italian figure due to his position; he served as Pope Francis’ Secretary of State and held the second-highest role at the Vatican, making him familiar to all cardinals.
Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, who is 67 years old, is considered a leading contender to become the first Asian pope in history. Previously, he held a prominent position as the head of the Vatican’s missionary department, which oversees the Catholic Church’s activities across many developing nations.
— The prominent contender representing the conservative faction within the Church is 72-year-old Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, who serves as the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest.
A dance routine for the voting process:
The voting adheres to a precise protocol, as mandated by ecclesiastical law.
Every cardinal pens their selection on a card labeled with the phrase “Eligo in summum pontificem” — which means “I elect as Supreme Pontiff.” As they make their way towards the altar individually, each states: “I invoke as my witness, Christ the Lord who shall be my judge, that I have cast my ballot for the person whom, in God’s presence, I believe deserves to be chosen.”
The creased ballot is positioned onto a circular disk and then gently poured into an egg-shaped silver and gold vessel. After being deposited, each vote is unfolded sequentially by three distinct ” scrutineers,” randomly chosen cardinals tasked with recording and announcing the names listed. While cardinals may maintain their personal count on supplied sheets of paper, they are required to submit these records for burning once the balloting concludes.
The vote counters, whose calculations are reviewed by other cardinals known as revisors, proceed to tally the outcomes of each voting session and record these totals on an individual document. This document is subsequently kept in the papal archives for safekeeping.
As the scrutineer reads out each name, he pierces each ballot with a needle through the word “Eligo” and binds them with thread and ties a knot. The ballots are then put aside and burned in the chapel stove along with a chemical to produce either black smoke to signal no winner, or white smoke to announce that a new pope has been elected.
READ MORE:
Cardinals participate in one last Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica prior to the conclave for selecting the new pope.
CHECK OUT WPTZ:
Stay updated with the recent news from Plattsburgh and Burlington. Check out top headline stories along with the most current weather reports available online at your convenience.
Leave a Reply