Latest news with #AntheaButler
Al Jazeera
30-05-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
The rise of Christian nationalism under Trump
Christian nationalism has gained significant ground under US President Donald Trump. This rise has led to growing concern about the movement's influence on US policy – both at home and abroad. So what does this mean for the future of American democracy? And with the influence of Christian Zionism – how is it shaping the US response to the war in Gaza? This week on Upfront, Marc Lamont Hill discusses these questions with the chair of the department of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania and author, Anthea Butler.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Long Do Conclaves Last? Looking Back at the Longest and Messiest, According to Experts (Exclusive)
Although some historical conclaves have lasted as long as three years, they've tended to be shorter in recent years — Pope Francis, for example, was chosen on the second day Several experts predict that the Catholic church will likely have a new pope by Friday, May 9 "If it's past Friday, then that's interesting because it means they can't get the majority that they leave, and so that means something's going on," one expert explains In the wake of Pope Francis' death last month, 133 cardinals will be meeting to select the next pope in the secretive election known as a conclave — and experts believe that it will be just a matter of days before the next pontiff is chosen. A conclave — meaning "under lock and key" in Latin — only occurs when a pope dies. Cardinals flock to Rome from all over the world to elect the next leader of the Catholic church, and this time around, the process will begin on Wednesday, May 7. Although conclaves in the centuries-long history of the church have taken as long as three years (though that was back in the 1200s, following the death of Pope Clement IV) experts say that it's commonplace for a modern papal election to take only a few days. Anthea Butler, a professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, tells PEOPLE that the conclave could only take two days. On the first day, she notes that there will only be one vote, but that'll ramp up in the coming days to two votes each morning and two votes each night (if needed, of course). "I don't think we're going to go past Friday," she adds. "If they have consensus, it'll be Thursday, but more likely than not, it'll be Friday." Related: Could an American Be the Next Pope? Here's Who Experts Say Might be the Top Contenders Jakub Porzycki/Anadolu/Getty Cardinals at Pope Francis' funeral on April 26, 2025. Cardinals at Pope Francis' funeral on April 26, 2025. Although many people will receive votes in the first rounds, afterwards the candidates typically narrow down — and the process keeps going until the voting cardinals (only those under age 80) are able to reach a two-third majority. "If it's past Friday, then that's interesting because it means they can't get the majority that they leave, and so that means something's going on," Butler adds. In recent years, voting has not gone on longer than about two days in recent history — for example, Pope Francis was elected during the last conclave's fifth ballot — but as Butler notes, this time around, there are a lot of cardinals who don't know each other that well. "That might take some time," she notes. "It's hard to say. You never know what's going to happen." Notre Dame professor Kathleen Sprows Cummings reiterates that it's hard to say for sure, but she wouldn't be surprised if this conclave runs a bit longer. "Pope Francis diversified the College of Cardinals by appointing a lot of cardinals from places that didn't have cardinals before and from far-flung places. So they don't have knowledge of each other and they don't have much knowledge of Rome, many of them," she explains. Laura Lezza/Getty Cardinals entering to attend the funeral ceremony for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square. Cardinals entering to attend the funeral ceremony for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square. Although the College of Cardinals has been able to work out some efficient methods for hosting a conclave, many elections in the history of the church have been much more complicated — and some, as Catholic studies professor at Sacred Heart University Charles Gillespie puts it, have been "delightfully messy," "Conclaves could be months, could be years, could be weeks, historically," Gillespie tells PEOPLE. "If we think back to the Medieval period or the early modern period, we have to remember the pope was also a temporal ruler," he continues, referring to the pope's historical role as a head of state. "That's still the case today, but most of us don't tend to think about the pope's rule of the Vatican City state and diplomatic relations as the most important part of the pope's job." "You've got some really delightfully messy conclaves in the Medieval period, where you have times where people disagree about who should be pope, there's a time when the papacy actually moves from Rome to Avignon in France, and you have multiple popes happening at once," he adds. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to Gillespie, one Italian saint, Catherine of Siena, intervened in the 1300s when the church elected three popes at once because of political turmoil in Europe. "Those messy conclaves often are because there's always concerns about politics, and economy and the life of ordinary people wrapped up in the election of the pope," he says. "However, in the last century, they've tended to be less than a week. Usually the Cardinals really want the conclave to wrap up in as little votes as possible, as a symbol of church unity." Although the longest conclave in recent history lasted for five days back in 1922, Cummings says the practice of locking cardinals in until they came up with a new pope originated 'when the conclave dragged on for three years' from 1268 to 1271. 'They just couldn't agree,' Cummings adds. 'It's hard to make comparisons with the 13th century, but in some ways it's not … they each had their own opinion.' 'That was a time when church and state were much more intertwined than they are now," she continues. Related: Pope Francis Buried at St. Mary Major, a Church with 'Very Beautiful' Connection to His Faith Despite the public's great interest in what happens behind the scenes in the private election, Gillespie says hardly any records exist of what happens during a conclave because all of the cardinals involved take a vow of secrecy. "The reason the Conclave is in the Sistine Chapel, with that wonderful image of the Last Judgment, that everyone has seen, is a reminder that the votes of the Cardinals aren't just about electing one of their own to take on this leadership role, but it's also to guide the whole church," he shares. As for the upcoming conclave, the College of Cardinals will lock themselves inside the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, May 7, to begin the voting process just over two weeks after Francis died at age 88. When a new pontiff has been selected, he will typically come out to the balcony of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican and greet the world — and then get right to work, Gillespie adds. "The fact of the matter is, you've got cardinals from every part of the globe, and this is the first time they've all gathered in conclave together, because not everyone was at the big Synod meeting," he finishes. "So, do you want my prediction? I think we'll have a pope in three days." Read the original article on People
