Cardinal electors

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Third General Congregation of the College of Cardinals and the Holy See Press Office Announcement

The third General Congregation of the College of Cardinals is now ongoing in Rome, starting since an hour ago (Tuesday, 5 March 2013 at 9.30 am Rome time / CET / UTC+1), and will continue on until another two hours. The date of the conclave had not been announced, but with still a few Cardinal-electors due to arrive in Rome by today, it might be that the date for the Conclave may not be known until the Holy See Press Office announcement by Fr. Federico Lombardi either today or tomorrow (both at 1 pm Rome time / CET / UTC+1).

Watch at the Vatican Player at http://www.vatican.va/video/ for the press release by Fr. Lombardi in another 2.5 hours or so, and as always, pray for all the Cardinals, especially the electors!

There will be only one General Congregation today and on the following days as opposed to two the previous day, as decided in the Second General Congregation yesterday evening (Rome time), thus the fourth General Congregation of the College of Cardinals, if there is one, will only commence tomorrow morning at 9.30 am (Wednesday, 6 March 2013).

103 Cardinal-electors attended the first General Congregation yesterday morning, out of a total of 115, and another 4 joined in the second General Congregation in the afternoon (107 out of 115), thus only another 8 Cardinal-electors, who are all hoped to arrive in Rome by today.

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Pictures of the First General Congregation of the College of Cardinals (Monday, 4 March 2013 at 9.30 am)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.505028852894470.1073741832.171224532941572&type=1

The First General Congregation of the College of Cardinals had ended, and the pictures can be found in the Facebook link of Vatican News above. Now they are in the Second General Congregation, likely to discuss the date of the Conclave, which may be revealed by tomorrow. So stay tuned! and pray for our Cardinal-electors!

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First General Congregation of the College of Cardinals in ongoing : We pray for the Cardinals and wait for news

The First General Congregation of the College of Cardinals in now ongoing in Rome (since half an hour ago, 9.30 am Rome time today), with most Cardinals having arrived in Rome, to discuss the Conclave, and the qualities needed for the next Pope. Which is also a chance for the Cardinals to discuss among themselves who they think the best candidate is.

The date of the Conclave will also be decided shortly, if not in this meeting, then in the Second General Congregation which will begin at 5 pm Rome time today. We pray for the Cardinal-electors, that the Holy Spirit will guide all of them in this period, and later into the Conclave, that we will soon have a new Pope, a wonderful new Shepherd to lead God’s Church in this world.

We await the press briefing by Fr. Federico Lombardi, head of the Holy See Press Office, which will be at 1 pm Rome time today (CET/UTC+1).

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First Meeting of the General Congregation of the College of Cardinals : Monday, 4 March 2013

http://www.news.va/en/news/sede-vacante-1st-meeting-of-general-congregation-a

The first meeting of the General Congregation of the College of Cardinals has been set on Monday, 4 March 2013 to discuss the conclave, especially deciding the exact start date of the conclave. Most Cardinals are expected to attend this first meeting as many of them are already in Rome by the end of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate on 28 February 2013.

 

There will be two meetings planned on Monday :

1st Meeting (Morning) : Monday, 4 March 2013 at 9.00 am CET/UTC+1 in the New Synod Hall

2nd Meeting (Afternoon) : Monday, 4 March 2013 at 5.00 pm CET/UTC+1 in the New Synod Hall

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Sealing of the Pope’s Apartment : Not to be opened until the new Pope has been elected

The private residence of the Pope in the Vatican City, that is his apartment in the Apostolic Palace beside the Basilica of St. Peter is left vacant upon the death of the Pope, or in this case, the retirement of the reigning Pope, which began the sede vacante, during which no Pope is present.

Therefore, in order to avoid fraud and manipulation of papal documents of the previous Pope, and to prevent release of items that can only be done by the new Pope, the Pope’s Apartment is sealed, by a special officer of the Roman Curia, that is the Camerlengo (Chamberlain) of the Holy Roman Church, who is now Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who is also the Secretary of State of the Holy See.

The Camerlengo is the leader of the sede vacante transition period, and working in conjunction with the Dean of the College of Cardinals. His duties include sealing the Pope’s apartment and the destruction of the Pope’s Ring of the Fisherman, both of which meant to ensure no fraud documents can be released in absence of the Pope.

The sealing is done as soon as the Pope passed away or stepped down, and done in the presence of the Vice-Camerlengo, who is now Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, and sealed with a silk string tied and sealed with a wax seal to ensure no one can enter the room, with the unbroken wax seal as evidence.

The room will only be opened again and the seal broken after the conclave is completed and a new Pope is elected.

Image below – from 2005 after the death of Blessed Pope John Paul II, then Camerlengo, Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo sealing the Pope’s apartment

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Cardinals summoned to Rome to gather and discuss the start date and details of Conclave

All Cardinals from around the world, from the archdioceses and dioceses have been summoned to Rome as per the decision made in the meeting of the College of Cardinals on Friday, 1 March 2013. Meetings to decide the date of the Conclave, and its details will commence on Monday, 4 March 2013.

Many of the Cardinals would be eager to be able to elect a new Pope before the Holy Week begins, so that if possible, he may even be installed prior to the Holy Week, and therefore the Cardinals will be able to go home and celebrate Holy Week with their respective archdioceses/dioceses.

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When will the papal conclave begin? Possibly between 9-11 March 2013, 10 days after Sede Vacante starts

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/conclave-expected-to-begin-between-march-9-11/

Conclave likely to begin between 9 March 2013 and 11 March 2013 according to a Vatican official. Based on the Motu Proprio Normas Nonnullas released by Pope Benedict XVI to clarify and modify the rules of the Conclave as stated in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, the Conclave can begin earlier than 15 days after sede vacante began.

However, the decision on the date of the beginning of the Conclave rests entirely on the College of Cardinals, who will decide in the General Congregation of Cardinals and other meetings that will begin today, Friday, 1 March 2013.

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Sede Vacante has begun. The See of Rome is Vacant

Therefore, as of now, Thursday, 28 February 2013, at 8 pm CET (UTC+1), Pope Benedict XVI is no longer our Pope, and the See of Rome is vacant.

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Let us all pray, first for His Holiness Benedict XVI, Bishop Emeritus of Rome, that God will continue to guide him in his prayerful life as a simple pilgrim, to the end of his journey in this world. We will always remember him as our beloved Pope.

Then, of course, let us pray that God will soon appoint the new shepherd, successor of St. Peter the Apostle, through the Holy Spirit and guidance to the Cardinal-electors who will elect the new Pope in the conclave which will begin likely in about 10 days from now, according to the rules of Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis and the corresponding modifications by the Motu Proprio Normas Nonnullas.

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Cardinal Angelo Scola : An intellectual Cardinal with humble backgrounds

Cardinal Angelo Scola, the current Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, was born in humble, poorer family, with a truck driver as a father, and his mother was a simple housewife. Yet behind that humble origins, lie a powerful intellect and mind, and which in addition to his close friendship with our Pope Benedict XVI made him not only a great pastor and shepherd, but also a great intellectual powerhouse of the Church. He published more than 120 books and works on theology and other matters of the faith, and one of the great writers of the Church like Pope Benedict XVI as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Cardinal Angelo Scola was made as Bishop of Grosseto in 1991, before appointed as Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical Lateran University in 1995. At the same time, he was also made the president of the Pontifical Institute of John Paul II for Studies on Marriage and Family. In 2002, he was appointed as the Patriarch of Venice, and was made a Cardinal-Priest of Ss. XII Apostoli (Twelve Apostles) in the Consistory of October 2003.

Cardinal Scola was then appointed as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, the largest archdiocese in Italy and in the world, in June 2011, and received his pallium (symbol of office of the Metropolitan Archbishop) personally from Pope Benedict XVI himself.

Let us pray for Cardinal Scola, that if he is elected as our new Pope, that God will continue to be with him and guide him as He has always done until now. Pray for our Cardinal-electors, that they will make their choice guided by the Holy Spirit to elect a new shepherd for God’s holy people.

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Pope Benedict XVI’s latest and last Motu Proprio : Normas Nonnullas on the Papal Conclave (Updated)

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20130222_normas-nonnullas_lt.html

Pope Benedict XVI has published his last Motu Proprio concerning the rules of the Conclave as laid out in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, by Blessed Pope John Paul II, to clarify and modify some portions of the rules to suit the developments in the current time, and to affirm the rules as written in the Universi Dominici Gregis.

 

1. Cardinal-electors that had been given the right to elect the new Pope and had been rightfully granted that right must not be deprived of his right to join the Conclave and elect the new Pope.

 

2. It grants the College of Cardinals more liberty in the date of the commencement of the Conclave, providing all the Cardinals rightfully given the voting rights and intending to attend the Conclave has been gathered in Rome, as opposed to the previous rule of compulsory 15 days between the vacancy of the See of Rome to the beginning of the Conclave. 15 days here should still be observed, but if the College deems it right for the Conclave to begin, they can do so. Thus, the Conclave can begin earlier than 15 March 2013 for this year’s Conclave.

 

3. The whole area of the Vatican City and the areas around the Sistine Chapel will be restricted during the period of the Conclave, to prevent any leakage of secrecy of the Conclave to the outside world. Especially the area from Domus Sancta Marthae where the Cardinals reside during the Conclave and the Sistine Chapel, where they gather and vote. Anyone breaching this rule, will be given latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication, which is more precisely mentioned than the previous rule, which only mentioned severe punishment. Latae sententiae excommunication is specified in the new ruling.

 

4. The oaths prescribed in the Universi Dominici Gregis, to be taken by every Cardinal-electors at the start of the Conclave. In addition, in the new rule, all those involved in the Conclave, also have to take the oath, not just the Cardinal-electors :

Latin : ‘Ego N. N. promitto et iuro me inviolate servaturum esse secretum absolutum cum omnibus quotquot participes non sunt Collegii Cardinalium electorum, hoc quidem in perpetuum, nisi mihi datur expresse peculiaris facultas a novo Pontifice electo eiusve Successoribus, in omnibus quae directe vel indirecte respiciunt suffragia et scrutinia ad novum Pontificem eligendum.

Itemque promitto et iuro me nullo modo in Conclavi usurum esse instrumentis quibuslibet ad vocem transmittendam vel recipiendam aut ad imagines exprimendas quovis modo aptis de iis quae tempore electionis fiunt intra fines Civitatis Vaticanae, atque praecipue de iis quae quolibet modo directe vel indirecte attinent ad negotia coniuncta cum ipsa electione. Declaro me editurum esse ius iurandum utpote qui plane noverim quamlibet eius violationem adducturam esse excommunicationis mihi poenam latae sententiae Sedi Apostolicae reservatae.’

English (rough translation) : ‘I, NN., promise and swear to keep inviolate the absolute secret from all those who are not participants in the (election of the Pope) by the College of Cardinals, even in perpetuity, unless expressly given me special permission from the newly elected Pope and his successors, in all things which are directly or indirectly concern the votes and ballots to the choosing a new Pope.

So again, I promise and I swear I am in no way, whatsoever, to the sound of instruments in the Conclave of sending or receiving, or would make use of to  represent the images in any way suitable at the time of the election are to be done within the confines of Vatican City on those matters which, in any way, and especially on those matters which pertain to the business of directly or indirectly linked to with the election. It is well explained and clear to me, who so obviously should know that any violation of his oath will lead to excommunication to me, under the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication, reserved to the Apostolic See.

 

5. That the new Pope can only be elected with secret ballot or scrutiny. No acclamation, no compromise, and no absolute majority (or more than 50% of votes) in the event of long conclave. This has been earlier abrogated by Pope Benedict XVI who reiterated the absolute requirement of at least two-thirds of all Cardinals’ votes for one to be elected a new Pope.

 

6. If the Conclave failed to reach conclusion after a period of time, a day of prayer and reflection, and contemplation should be included before voting begins again. Then in the next round of voting, only the two names with the highest number of votes in the previous ballot would be included.

 

7. The formula of the question by the Cardinal Dean to the newly elected Pope is affirmed :

 

Latin : Acceptasne electionem de te canonice factam in Summum Pontificem?

English : Do you accept the Canonical election as the Supreme Pontiff?

 

Latin : Accepto

English : I accept

 

Latin : Quo nomine vis vocari?

English : What do you wish to be called?

 

Latin : Vocabor X

English : I wish to be called X.

(X will be the regnal name, for example, Benedict for our Pope Benedict XVI)