Black smoke was poured from the chimneys of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the Pope was not elected as 133 Cardinals held secret centuries to select a new leader of the Catholic Church.
The Cards, who participate in the most geographically diverse Conclave in their two,000-year history of the Faith, voted for a round of votes Wednesday evening. After failing to find a winner in the first vote, they retire in the evening and return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning to try and find a successor to the Pope Francis.
They held a conclave on Wednesday afternoon to attend a more theatrical ritual than even Hollywood could make. It emphasized the red cardiacs, Latin chants, incense, and sternness.
Outside St. Peter Square, thousands of people flocked to watch the minutes on a huge video screen, applauding as the doors of the Sistine Chapel closed and the votes began. They waited for hours and watched screens showing thin chimneys and occasional seagulls. Some were left in frustration after the vote was dragged into dinnertime, but those who cheered as the smoke finally swirled.
“My hope is that Cardinals can become peace superintendent and can reunite the church,” said Gabriel Capley, 27, from London.
The Vatican prepares 133 cardinals to gather together to elect the next Pope. From surrendered phones to locked doors, here’s how Conclaves will be deployed:
Diverse Groups of the Cardinals
Cardinals from 70 countries were isolated from the outside world on Wednesday, their phones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican were choked to prevent all communication until they found a new Pope.
Francis nominated 108 out of the 133 “Prince Princes,” and chose many pastors from faraway countries such as Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga.
His decision to exceed the usual limits of 120 cardiac electors and include young electors from the “Global South” – often marginalized countries with low economic influence have injected an extraordinary degree of uncertainty into a process filled with mystery and suspense.
Many Cardinals hadn’t met until last week, lamenting that they needed more time to get to know each other, raising questions about the time it took to secure the two-thirds of majority, or 89 votes, needed to become the 267th Pope.
“Wait, look at some patience, wait and see,” said Cardinal Mario Zenari, Syrian ambassador for the Vatican.
Oath and “Extra Omness”
The Cardinals were in the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting a meditative “Rittany of the Saints” while Swiss security guards were paying attention. The Hymns beg the saints to help the Cardinals find 1.4 billion powerful church leaders.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a 70-year-old Secretary of State under Francis and a leading candidate to take over him as Pope himself, took on the leadership of the lawsuit as a senior cardinal under the age of 80 who is eligible to participate.
He stood before Michelangelo’s vision of heaven and hell, “The Last Judgment,” leading the other cardinals with long oaths. Each followed, placing his hands on the gospel and promised in Latin to maintain the maximum secret.
Earlier in the day, Cardinal Giovanni Batista Leh, dean of the Cardinal of University, presided over the morning mass of St. Peter’s Cathedral, urging voters to set aside all their personal interests and find a Pope who praises unity. He prayed for the Pope who could awaken the conscience of the world.
He reminded the Cardinals that the greatness of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel was intended to remind the Cardinals of the serious responsibility they owed. In his regulations for the Conclave, St. John Paul II wrote in the Sistine Chapel that “everything encourages the recognition of God’s existence.”
After the Cardinals made the vows, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of the Pope’s liturgical rituals, was called “extra omness,” and in Latin “all out,” someone who is not entitled to vote before the door to the chapel closes. The elderly cardinal remained to deliver meditation, but after he was finished he had to leave as he was too old to vote.
The Cardinals said they expect a short conclave this week, but they said they will need at least a few votes. For the majority of the past century, it was necessary to vote between 3-14 to find the Pope. John Paul I – the Pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 – was elected by the fourth vote. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was selected fifth in 2013.
The Electoral Cardinal vowed on Wednesday to protect the freedom of the church and the secrets of the Conclave, and to avoid secular politics of votes against the new Pope.
Lobbying in front of the conclave
The Cards should resist the “secular” influence in the Pope’s choice, but such lobbying in Rome before the Conclave was flooded with such lobbying in Rome as various groups reminded the Cards that ordinary Catholics wanted their leaders.
Young Catholics wrote an open letter reminding Cardinal that there is no church without youth, women and congregations. The conservative Catholic media has slipped through cardinal copies of the glossy book that includes candidate ratings. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse warned the Cardinals that if they were unable to find leaders to crack down on decades of abuse and cover-up, they would be held responsible.
Advocates for the women’s ordination sent a pink smoke signal over the Vatican on Wednesday, demanding that the woman be allowed to become priests and participate in the Conclave.
Even the White House posted a photo of President Donald Trump, who dressed the Pope. Trump said it was a joke, but the gesture was accused by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi as “indecent” political interference with the issue of faith, dating back to a time when secular rulers began intervening in sequential orders.
New York archbishop Timothy Dolan said there is a lot of lobbying happening among the Cards himself as well.
“You invite each other,” Dolan said on Sirius XM’s Catholic channel before the Conclave began. “And you’re pretty dull. Now we’re not horse trade here. We’re not horse trade here. “Tell me about this guy. You’re from Latin America. Find out the bishop’s list. Tell me some of these blowjobs. Am I enchanted by this guy?”
Lisette Herrera, a 54-year-old tourist from the Dominican Republic, accidentally moved deep to find herself in Rome when the Conclave began. She skipped the Spanish stairs and the Trevi Fountain on Wednesday morning, and instead decided to pray at St. Peter’s Square.
“I pray to the Holy Spirit for the young Pope who has been with us for a long time,” she said. “I don’t believe in Conclave politics. I feel the Holy Spirit is here. That’s all we need to know.”
The challenges facing the new Pope
Many challenges await the new Pope and weigh the cardinals. Above all, whether to continue and integrate Francis’ progressive legacy of women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, the environment and promotion of immigration, or roll it back to unify a more polarized church between his Pontifeetate. The clergy sexual abuse scandal lies in a pre-Conclave lecture.
Francis chose 80% of voters, so continuity is likely, but the format it may take is uncertain and identifying the frontrunner is a challenge.
However, some names continue to appear in the “Papaville” list, or in the list of Cardinals with the qualities to become Pope. In addition to Parolin, they include:
– Cardinal Louis Tagle of the Philippines, 67, the top candidate to become the first Asian Pope in history. He headed the Vatican Evangelization Office, which is responsible for the Catholic Church in most developing countries.
– Hungarian Cardinal Peter Eld (72), Archbishop of Budapest, is a leading candidate representing the more conservative wings of the Church.
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Associated Press reporters Giada Zampano and Vanessa Gera contributed.
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Associated Press’ Religious Reporting will be supported through collaboration with the Associated Press and Conversation, along with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is responsible for this content only.
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