Vatican City (AP) – The Pope’s death Start a Century-old rituals A sacred vow by the Cardinals who elected successors, to drill a voting hole with needles and thread after counting, and to burn to produce white or black smoke when there are new leaders of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
The election itself is shrouded in secret, and the Cardinals are forbidden from communicating with the outside world. Voting at Conclave Behind the wall of the fresco in the Sistine Chapel.
St. John Paul II rewritten the regulations regarding the Pope election in a 1996 document that was primarily valid, but Pope Benedict XVI revised twice before resigning. Here’s what happens when the Pope dies: This is known as the “Sede Vacante,” or “vacant.”
Who will be in charge?
After the Pope dies, Camerlengo, or Chamberlain, must prove his death and seal the Pope’s apartment. He carries out the management and economic duties of the sacred sea. Until the new Pope takes over.
Camerlengo’s mostly ritual work is now being held by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-born American head of the Vatican’s Congregational office, who announced his death Monday morning.
Almost every governor in the Vatican office loses his job when the Pope dies, but several stays, including the Foreign Minister and the liturgical masters, who play an important role in the construction of the Conclave.
The dean of Cardinal of University will summon Cardinals for the funeral and will preside over the Mass before the Conclave begins. That position is currently held by Cardinal Giovanni Batista, retired director of the Vatican Bishop’s Office.
November 2024, Francis Reformed the ritual To be used at his funeral, he emphasizes his role as a simple bishop and simplifies them to allow burial outside the Vatican. Francis chose to be buried in Major St. Mary’s Cathedral. There you will find Salus Populi Romani, a favorite icon of the Virgin Mary.
What is the timing?
The Pope’s death begins a series of precise events, including confirmation of his death in the clergy’s house, the relocation of ffin to St. Peter’s Cathedral for public viewing, and funeral masses and burials. The intervention must take place between the fourth and sixth days after his death.
After the funeral there will be nine days of official mourning known as “Novendiali”.
During this period, the Cardinals will arrive in Rome. To give everyone time to assemble, the conclave must start 15-20 days after the “Sedequate” is declared, but can start early if the Cardinals agree.
Who can choose the Pope?
Only Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Current regulations limit the number of electorals to 120, but the pope often exceeds that ceiling. According to recently updated Vatican statistics, there were 135 cardinals under the age of 80 and were eligible to vote. Cardinals over the age of 80 can be elected Pope.
People over the age of 80 cannot vote, but can attend advance meetings known as the general congregation where the issues of the church are being discussed. At these meetings in 2013, then Prime Minister Jorge Mario Bergoglio spoke about the need for the church to go to “existential surroundings” to find people in suffering.
Who is the candidate?
Baptized Roman Catholic men are eligible to become pope, but since 1378 only the Cardinals have been chosen. Cardinals, considered candidates who may be Pope, are often referred to in the media as “papavil” or pope (or in the plural, these cards are called “papabilli”). Who these candidates are, of course, is completely speculative, as the conclave process is not a public contest.
How are votes taken?
The first vote will take place at Sistine Chapel in the afternoon after the first mass. If the Pope is not elected, two votes will be held each morning on subsequent days, and will be held at 2pm.
The vote is rectangular paper with space for the name, with the words “Erigo of the summum pontificem” (“I will elect as the best clergy”). Each cardinal makes his choice, folds the paper in half and walks into the front of the chapel, proclaiming, “As Christ, the Lord who will become my judge, I call my vote to someone who thinks that my vote should be elected before God.”
He then places his vote on the tray and tilts it to the receptacle.
The three designated cardinals known as scrutiny review each vote to see if it is correctly filled out. Each name is counted aloud and counted, and the results are announced to the Conclave after each round.
If you haven’t received the required two-thirds of the vote, the vote has a needle and thread hole, so it will be tied to the tray and placed, preparing another round.
Benedict revised some of John Paul II’s 1996 Concrete Brule. Most notably, he ruled out his vision that if the vote was in a deadlock, the Pope could be elected by a simple majority. Benedict ordered that two-thirds of a majority are always needed, no matter how long it takes. He did so for the 12 days foreseen by John Paul II to prevent the Cardinal restraint and then push forward the slim majority candidate.
The procession at the Sacred College of Cardinals is trapped inside to begin the Conclave on October 14, 1978, to elect a successor to John Paul I.
Archbishop Piero Marini, master of rituals for the celebration of the liturgy, closes the door to the Sistine Chapel on April 18, 2005, and begins the Conclave for the Cardinals to elect John Paul II’s successor. (Arturomari – Vaticanpur/Getty Images)
Cardinals submitted to the Sistine Chapel for Conclave on March 12, 2013 at the Vatican, choosing to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. (Maurix/Gammalafo via Getty Images)
What about the secret?
Benedict also strengthened Conclave’s secret oath, revealing automatic excommunication to anyone who revealed what happened inside.
While excommunication was always possible under John Paul II’s rules, Benedict has stated that he must observe “absolute and enduring secrets” and explicitly refrain from using audio or video recording devices, and revised the vows that liturgical assistants and secretaries take to make it explicit.
They now say, “I am fully aware of this oath, and fully aware that that violation will result in an automatic excommunication penalty reserved to the Apostolic Sea.
The Cardinals are also secretly bound, but the threat of excommunication is explicitly drooping only if it turns out to be accepted for the vote. Secular forces influenced it and were agreed with other Cardinals to support candidates.
Is there a Pope?
After the vote is pierced, it is baked on a cylindrical stove at the end of the voting session. The black smoke from Sistine Chapel Chimney means no decision. That the white smoke signal card s chose the Pope and that he accepted.
A chemical cartridge has been added to ensure there are no confusion in the color. To produce black smoke, cartridges and sulfur containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a component of coal tar) are burned on the ballot. For white smoke, potassium chlorate cartridges, lactose and chloroform resins are burned by vote.
The bell is also a langu to inform the election of the Pope, for further clarity.
The new Pope is featured by the loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square with the words “Havemus Papam!” (“We have a Pope!”) and the name of his chosen Pope. A new Pope appears afterwards and gives him his first blessing.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
