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Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Conclave schedule: How the Catholic church picks a new pope
The Brief The papal conclave begins on May 7. The process of choosing a new pope will take place at the Sistine Chapel. Once a new pope is chosen, white smoke will billow from a chimney over the Sistine Chapel. The process of choosing a new pope , or papal conclave, begins today, May 7. The date was chosen by all cardinals who gathered at the Vatican for the fifth General Congregation, according to Vatican News. The centuries-old tradition will take place in the Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to the public during the conclave. Schedule of events Timeline May 7: Conclave begins All 133 cardinal electors will attend a Eucharistic celebration in the morning, according to Vatican News. In the afternoon, electors will head to the Sistine Chapel where they will take an oath of secrecy. Following the oath, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations will deliver a meditation. During this time, electors can reflect on the importance of choosing their new pontiff. Prayers are recited and anyone with last-minute questions are permitted to ask them at this point. Once electors are clear on the procedures and rules, the election process starts. There will be one round of voting on Wednesday. If no one is elected, the cardinals will hold their evening prayer service and retire for the night. Statue of Saint Peter in front of St. Peter's Basilica a day ahead of the conclave. Vatican City, Italy on May 6th, 2025. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images) By the numbers On Thursday, the first full day, the cardinals will have morning prayers and head into the Sistine Chapel around 9:30 local time. There will be two rounds of voting in the morning and then two more rounds in the afternoon. They will once again retire for prayers and rest if no one is elected by the evening. After each session, smoke from burning ballots will signal the result: Black smoke means no pope was selected; white smoke means "habemus papam" – we have a pope. At that point, the new pontiff will be expected on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square within an hour. Because the ballots are only burned once in the morning and once in the evening, the smoke signals will likely be seen around midday local time and then late afternoon. Vatican City is currently six hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast, so that means the expected smoke times are around 5 to 7 a.m. ET and then 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. How many votes are needed to elect a pope? Dig deeper The voting process works similar to how the U.S. federal government: a two-thirds majority is required to choose the next pope. Each cardinal writes his choice on a piece of paper and drops off their twice-folded ballot in a large chalice one by one, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. Cardinals must be under 80 years old to cast a vote for a new pope. Four rounds of balloting take place every day until a candidate receives the necessary number of votes. What happens once all votes are in? The result of each ballot is counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals who are designated recorders. If none of the candidates receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel. Chemicals that are added to the stove will produce black smoke, signifying a pope has not been chosen yet. What happens when a candidate wins? When a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote, the dean will ask him if he accepts the election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and wears the papal vestments before he goes out to the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and delivers his first public words as pope. The ballots of the final and deciding vote are burned to produce white smoke to signal to the world a new pope has been chosen. The Source Information for this article was taken from previous reporting by FOX Local, Vatican News, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Herald Malaysia
07-05-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Hilarius or Simplicius: The papal name dilemma
A papal name carries centuries of legacy and the next pope's choice could echo peace, power, or even prophecy May 07, 2025 Cardinals present in Rome meet for the General Congregation on April 30. (Photo: Vatican Media) From Pius to Clement, Hilarius to Simplicius, papal names through the centuries are inextricably linked to the brilliant or wretched legacies of the men who have ruled the Vatican. The cardinal elected to succeed Pope Francis following the conclave, which begins on May 7, will be announced to the world with his papal name in Latin. With so much weight placed on the significance of the papal moniker, the cardinals must choose wisely. The tradition of choosing a new name dates back to the sixth century, when an ordinary priest -- Mercurius -- was elected but felt he could not keep his pagan name. He swapped it for John, arguing that if Christ had renamed Simon, the first pope, as Peter, other popes could do the same. Since then, only one, Adrian VI in the 16th century, has kept his baptism name. In 2013, Argentine Jorge Bergoglio became the first pope to take the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic who renounced his wealth and devoted his life to the poor. Bookmakers had been betting he would call himself Leo -- which means lion. While some names are associated with peace or theological brilliance, others have more controversial connotations. There has not been a pope called Celestine since the name was taken in 1294 by a hermit, who was elected against his wishes and resigned from the post after five months. He was immortalized by the Italian poet Dante, who placed him in Hell for his "great refusal." Francis' predecessor Benedict XVI also stepped down, so plumping for Benedict XVII or Celestine VI might spark speculation about an eventual resignation. Orgies, necromancy While popes in the first few centuries were called anything from Zachary to Adeodatus or Victor, from the 16th century onwards the same names have been circulating -- Clement, Gregory, Pius, Paul, Benedict -- and it is likely to be one of those, or a composite name. John Paul I was the first in 1978 to bring two papal names together, to honour those who led the Roman Catholic Church during the Second Vatican Council, and John Paul II upheld the tribute when his predecessor died after just 33 days as pope. Those aspiring to emulate Francis' charismatic leadership might call themselves John Paul III -- or even just John, after "Good Pope John" XXIII, who called the Second Vatican Council and declared it his mission to open up the Church to the world. While the name Pius might appear at first to have the right connotations, the last pope to go by it, Pius XII, was nicknamed "Hitler's Pope" by his detractors because of what they said was his silence during the Holocaust in World War II. Gregory and Alexander also have unfortunate associations: Gregory VII, elected in 1073, was accused of necromancy and using a bed of nails to torture those who crossed him. Alexander VI, a member of the wealthy Borgia family, was renowned for throwing wild orgies inside the papal palace. One of the most bizarre popes of all time was ninth-century Stephen VII, who despised his predecessor Formosus so much that he had his rotting body dug up, dressed in papal robes and put on trial for occupying the papacy illegally. Formosus was found guilty, the fingers he used to give blessings were chopped off and his body tossed in the river Tiber -- an ungracious end which makes it unlikely that anyone will choose the name Formosus II, regardless of whether or not the trial was fair. It would be a brave man who named himself Peter II. The name is considered off limits out of respect for the Church's first pope and, according to a prophecy attributed to a 12th-century saint, the next Peter's pontificate will bring the destruction of Rome and kick off the
The Journal
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Conclave: Here's how the drama unfolded last time around, in Pope Francis's own words
Diarmuid Pepper in Rome 'TO SAY THAT I expected nothing like this, never in my life, or even at the beginning of that conclave, is certainly an understatement.' In his memoir, Hope, which was published in January, Pope Francis recounts the 2013 conclave that elected him as the 266 th leader of the Catholic Church. Francis revealed that he was certain he would not become pope and had booked a return flight to Argentina, 11 days after the start of the conclave. And in one of the first acts of his papacy, Francis was adamant that he would return to the hotel he had been staying in in Rome to square up the bill himself. This photo captured perfectly how Francis' pontificate was going to be different. On the morning after his election, Pope Francis went back to his hotel to pay the bill and pick up his own belongings. — Rich Raho (@RichRaho) April 21, 2025 Today, the staff involved in the conclave took their vow of secrecy. At 10am tomorrow, the Cardinals will have Mass ahead of the conclave and then at 4.30pm, it'll be their turn to take an oath of secrecy ahead of the first ballot. Some 133 Cardinals will vote in the conclave, but as of yesterday, there was still one Cardinal outstanding – two pulled out due to sickness. 170 Cardinals, including 132 Cardinal electors, participated in the eleventh General Congregation on Monday afternoon, 5 May 2025. The Congregation began with a moment of prayer. According to the Holy See Press Office director, Matteo Bruni, around 20 interventions were… — Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 5, 2025 This will make the upcoming conclave the largest in history, so large in fact that there isn't room for them all at the guesthouse made for Cardinals to stay in during conclaves. Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell had to draw lots to see who would be the unfortunate few to have to reside in the old guesthouse. Ahead of tomorrow's conclave to elect the 267th pope , here's how it played out in 2013, in Francis's own words. USA TODAY / YouTube 'Where do we find him?' Pope Benedict XVI had stepped down, the first pope to do so in over 600 years, and Francis noted that he wasn't 'mentioned' in media circles as being 'papabile' (or 'pope-able'). 'The main candidates being suggested and sought out by journalists during those days in March 2013 were others.' Indeed, the name of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, as Francis was back then, was missing from most of the news articles being written at the time. After a pope dies (or resigns), Cardinals are summoned to the Vatican to prepare for a papal funeral and also to prepare for a conclave. They engage in meetings called 'general congregations' and during one such meeting, Francis made a short speech lasting four or five minutes. Francis said he 'hadn't prepared' the remarks but he later discovered that the speech had 'stirred interest, attention'. The crowd gather at St Peter's Basilica during the Conclave that elected Pope Francis Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo He passed off such interest as 'little more than kindnesses, courtesies', but then one Cardinal approached him and wrote of the exchange: 'We could do with someone who will do things like that…' Yes, but where do we find him? I asked. 'You,' he replied. I laughed: Ha ha ha, okay, ciao, and best wishes to the folks back home!' The following day, on 12 March, the conclave began. 'I'll go back home. Full stop.' Francis said he had arrived at Santa Marta with 'two cassocks and not much else'. The Santa Marta is a hotel-like building constructed during the reign of Pope John Paul II to house cardinals during a conclave. Francis would end up living there as pope as opposed to the more luxurious apostolic palace. The late pope said this decision caused some 'minor turmoil'. 'But I need to live my life alongside others,' said Francis. 'Not even the pope can save himself alone.' The newly elected Pope Francis being presented to the crowd at St Peter's in 2013 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Francis said he had 'left everything in Buenos Aires and had already bought the ticket for a return flight on 23 March. 'I decided to fly back on that Saturday. I'll go back home. Full stop.' He said the first round of voting is 'more or less a matter of form'. 'A vote for a friend, for a person of respect…' He explained: 'When there are several strong candidates, those who are still undecided, like I was, vote for someone who won't make it. 'These are 'holding' votes, cast in the expectation that the situation will develop and become clearer.' Advertisement Francis said he had thought that the votes cast for him in this first round were 'stopgap votes'. 'At the second ballot, I still had 'stopgap' votes. On the third, there were a few more,' wrote Francis. 'The situation was clearly fluid, uncertain, and for this reason there was nothing that particularly surprised me. 'I thought that all would go smoothly, so that I could catch my flight to Buenos Aires and celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter there.' But then something odd happened. The archbishop of Havana asked if Francis would give him the text of the speech he had given to Cardinals. Francis said there was nothing in writing, so he briefly wrote down the main points of the remarks. 'Oh, thank you,' he said. 'I now have a memento of the pope to take home with me.' I still thought it was a joke.' Crowds of pilgrims take photos moments after Pope Francis made his first public appearance in 2013 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In his remarks to Cardinals, Francis had called for the Church to 'go to the existential peripheries' and to stop engaging in 'theological narcissism'. That night in the dining area, Francis said he was quizzed by European Cardinals. 'They started to ask a thousand questions, of all kinds, about Latin America, about its peculiarities, about liberation theology. 'I found myself thinking: Hah, it seems like an exam… And in fact it probably was.' 'The Cardinal turned red' But then the sometimes cutthroat nature of the conclave made itself known. At the age of 21, Francis had a part of one of his lungs removed but this had been twisted into a grander story by Cardinals who didn't want to see him succeed. One Cardinal asked him if he was missing a lung. ''No,' I replied, they cut away the upper lobe because I had three cysts. 'And when did it happen?' A long time ago, in 1957, I said. 'The cardinal turned red, uttered a swear word, and clenched his teeth: 'These last-minute manoeuvres!' he exclaimed. 'It was then that I began to understand. I understood at least that the danger was there.' Behind the scenes at the Sistine Chapel, as it readied for the Conclave that elected Pope Francis. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo As seen in the film Conclave, some Cardinals follow along with the tallies – these too must be burned with the ballots. 'I never filled it out,' said Francis. 'I prayed the rosary, in peace. The vote counting is also tedious to follow—it seems like a Gregorian chant, but much less harmonious. 'I began to hear Bergoglio, Bergoglio, Bergoglio, Bergoglio.' This was the fourth ballot, and Francis was now just a handful of votes away from being named pope. On the fifth round of voting, an extra ballot slip which was empty was found. 'It was done again,' said Francis. 'Even if that voting slip was blank, the whole procedure had to be repeated. 'They were all set on fire without even being opened, and the vote was immediately repeated.' White smoke seen from the roof of the Sistine Chapel indicating that Francis had been elected as pope on 13 March, 2013 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo While Francis said he didn't follow along with the tallies, others did. When his name was called out for the 77th time, meaning he had hit the two thirds majority and was the new leader of the Catholic Church, 'there was a burst of applause, while the reading of the votes went on'. 'There was a burst of applause, while the reading of the votes went on. 'I don't know exactly how many votes there were in the end, I was no longer listening, the noise covered the voice of the scrutineer. 'But at that moment, while the cardinals were still applauding, Cardinal Hummes stood up and came to embrace me: 'Don't forget the poor,' he said. 'Those words of his remained with me, I felt them in my flesh.' 'I'm rather flat-footed' Cardinal Bergoglio said it was then that the name of Francis appeared to him. Related Reads Pope Francis gave blessing for popemobile to become health clinic for Gaza children What happens during a real-world conclave? He recalled that during the days of the conclave, 'a homeless man was wandering around Saint Peter's Square with a placard around his neck. On it was written 'Pope Francis I.' He was then ushered into the sacristy in the Sistine Chapel known as the 'room of tears', where new popes are fitted for their first papal appearance from the central balcony of St Peter's. Faithful wait for a sign of smoke in St. Peter's Square on 12 March 12, 2013. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'They offered me a beautiful golden cross and I said: 'I have this nickel silver one, I've been carrying it for twenty years. 'The red shoes? No, I have orthopaedic shoes. I'm rather flat-footed. 'Likewise, I didn't want the velvet mozzetta, nor the linen rochet. They were not for me. 'Two days later they told me I would have to change my trousers, wear white ones. They made me laugh. I don't want to be an ice cream seller, I said. And I kept my own.' Francis also recalled how he physically stumbled moments before appearing as pope for the first time. 'Maybe because I wasn't yet at ease in my new clothing, I tripped on a step. My first act as pope… was to stumble.' Francis added that he didn't sit on the papal throne that had been prepared, writing that there is 'something medieval about someone kneeling in front of you and kissing your hand'. 'And so I went out onto the balcony overlooking the square. I had no idea what I would say. ABC News / YouTube 'But I was at peace. Calm. A feeling that has never left me.' When he rejoined the other Cardinals, a limousine was waiting. 'But I said calmly: No, no, I'll go with the cardinals. We all took the minibus together and returned to Santa Marta. I saw no more of the limousine.' Francis said he called the Argentine bishops that night to tell them not to come to his papal inauguration. 'Instead, donate the money to the poor and pray for me. Some of them came just the same, since that's always what happens.' His next call was to his sister: 'The words had difficulty coming out. We gave each other a hug by telephone. We are always together, we said, in each other's hearts.' Basilica of Saint Mary Major The next day, the new pope made a trip to the basilica of St Mary Major the place where he is buried and the place he visited before and after every papal journey. A group of transgender people, refugees, migrants and prisoners were among the small group who gave Francis his final farewell from this basilica . A white rose lays on the tomb of Pope Francis on the first day of its opening to the public in Santa Maria Maggiore basilica Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo He also made an unscheduled stop here on his way back to Santa Martha following a 38-day stay in hospital. 'I asked to go early in the morning and – please – in a normal car,' said Francis of this trip to the basilica the day after becoming pope. 'They provided me with a blue Ford Focus, which I used for quite some time after that.' Francis then asked to be taken to the hotel where he had been staying before the conclave in order to pay the bill. 'Don't worry, we will sort that out,' I was told. 'But I wanted to go myself, since it was right that I should. I went up to my room, collected my things, packed my bag, and paid, saying goodbye to everyone.' He also made a call to his news vendor in Buenos Aires, 'thanking him and cancelling the delivery of the newspapers because… Well, you'll know what has happened, I said.' That evening, when he was shown the papal apartment which had been sealed since Benedict's resignation, Francis wrote that he 'said to myself immediately: I won't be staying here'. 'I'm happy at Santa Marta because I have people around me,' wrote Francis. Meanwhile, he said he had a 'feeling' that his papacy would be 'brief'. Associated Press / YouTube 'No more than three or four years, I thought. It was a vague yet fairly strong feeling that stemmed from the conviction of having been elected because the conclave was rapid: I had no other explanation. 'I never imagined that I would have made all those journeys to more than sixty countries.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Herald Malaysia
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
11th General Congregation focuses on migration, synodality, unity
The College of Cardinals convenes for the eleventh General Congregation with a focus on migration, synodality and unity ahead of the Conclave. May 06, 2025 11th General Congregation of Cardinals (@Vatican Media) 170 Cardinals, including 132 Cardinal electors, participated in the eleventh General Congregation on Monday afternoon, 5 May 2025. The Congregation began with a moment of prayer. According to the Holy See Press Office director, Matteo Bruni, around 20 interventions were presented during the meeting, with discussions focusing on several key themes: Ethnocentrism within the Church and society, the phenomenon of migration, migrants as a gift, and the importance of supporting the faith of migrants. Ongoing wars and conflicts, and themes related to the countries from which the cardinals who spoke come, particularly in Asia and Africa. The Synod on Synodality and the ecclesiology of communion. The commitment and responsibility of the cardinals to support the new Pope. The Cardinals outlined the figure of a pastoral Pope within the perspective of dialogue and building relationships with different religious and cultural worlds. The challenge posed by sects. The General Congregation concluded at 7:00 PM. The twelfth General Congregation is scheduled to commence on Tuesday morning, May 6, at 9:00 AM.--Vatican News
Perth Now
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
All cardinals have arrived in Rome for papal conclave
All of the 133 cardinals expected to take part in the secret conclave to elect a new Pope have arrived in Rome, the Vatican says, with the race to succeed Pope Francis seen as wide open. The conclave will start behind the closed, wooden doors of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday afternoon, with all cardinals aged under 80 entitled to take part to choose a successor to Francis, who died last month. Some cardinals are looking for a new Pope who will continue with Francis' push for a more transparent, welcoming Church while others are seeking retrenchment to more traditional roots that put a premium on doctrine. Conclaves are often spread out over several days, with multiple votes held before a contender wins the necessary three-quarters majority to become pope. The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told reporters that the 179 Cardinals, including 132 Cardinal electors, participated in the tenth General Congregation on Monday noted that all 133 Cardinal electors are present in Rome, ahead of the conclave… Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 5, 2025 The world's Catholic cardinals have been meeting on a near daily basis since the day after Francis' death on April 21 to discuss the state of the 1.4-billion-member Church, with the numbers of participating clerics gradually swelling. The Vatican said 180 cardinals, including 132 electors, took part in a meeting on Monday morning. The 133rd elector is also in Rome but did not take part in the discussions. Two cardinals, one from Spain and one from Kenya, will not be joining the conclave for health reasons, the Vatican said. Among the questions addressed on Monday were "strong concern" about divisions within the Church, said the Vatican spokesman - a possible reference to splits over Francis' decision to allow blessings for same-sex partners and to open discussion about the role of women in the Church. Cardinals also talked about the profile of a future Pope - "a figure who must be present, close, capable of being a bridge and a guide ... a shepherd close to the real life of the people," the spokesman said. While there are a few cardinals seen as potential front-runners to succeed Francis - two often mentioned are Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle - many of the voting clerics have not made up their minds. "My list is changing, and I think it will continue to change over the next few days," UK Cardinal Vincent Nichols, participating in his first conclave, told Reuters. "It's a process which for me is far from concluded, far from concluded." The cardinals will hold a second session of talks on Monday afternoon, with a final round expected on Tuesday. Two Vatican guest houses will house the cardinals during the conclave, when they will be barred from contact with the outside world. Progressive German Cardinal Walter Kasper, who is 92 and cannot take part in the vote, said he was sure the electors would choose someone to pursue Francis' agenda. "I believe that there is a very clear expectation. People want a Pope to follow Francis. A pastor who knows the language of the heart, who does not close himself in palaces," Kasper told La Stampa newspaper. "Of course, there are also cardinals who hope for a change of direction with respect to Francis. But my impression ... is that the majority of cardinals are in favour of continuity."
