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Herald Malaysia
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Malaysia
For fashion wow head to the Vatican
The dazzling red, symbolising the blood of Christ, is the color that marks cardinals out from lower-ranking prelates May 07, 2025 This handout picture released by the Press office shows cardinals entering in the Sistine Chapel before the start of the conclave at the Vatican on March 12, 2013. (Photo: AFP / Osservatore Romano) By AFP, Vatican CityForget feathers, fringe and sparkles. But if bold and brash color is your thing, look no further than the conclave at the the world's fashionistas have been eyeing the 2025 Met Gala in New York -- with audacious looks from leather-clad Kim Kardashian and Madonna in ivory satin -- in Rome another display of pageantry is poised for its moment in the on May 7, the 133 cardinal electors charged with naming the next leader of the Catholic Church will be ablaze in the color palette's most vibrant tone -- scarlet. The dazzling red, symbolising the blood of Christ, is the colour that marks cardinals out from lower-ranking prelates. But for special occasions -- like the conclave to choose the next pope, held under Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel -- they pull out all the stops. The base of their so-called "choir dress" is the full-length red cassock, with 33 buttons down the front, partially covered by a rochet, a white garment with a lace border. Covering the torso to the elbows is the red mozzetta, or short cape, atop which the cardinal wears his imposing pectoral cross. The zucchetto, or silk skullcap, is worn on the head, covered by the biretta, the rigid, square-sided cap. In St Peter's Square on May 6, British tourist Stephanie Linnell, 56, marvelled at "the colors they'll use [and] this setting". Michael Archibald, 54, added that irrespective of one's religion, "it's still an occasion that will blow you away." But Lidia Spiezia, 75, grumbled that anyone not born into the Latin Catholic tradition wouldn't understand the rituals preceding the new pope's election. "For our culture, it's a sacred thing," said the Roman. "It's not a theatrical spectacle." Vatican's loudest colors The cardinals will, on May 7 afternoon, walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel for their vote. They will be accompanied by lower-ranking members of the church, whether bishops or monseigneurs dressed in another eye-popping shade -- fuchsia. And don't forget the Swiss Guards, the papal garrison wearing the Vatican's loudest colours. Their uniforms, characterized by a cinched vest and roomy breeches, carry the Medici family colors in vertical stripes of red, dark blue and orange-yellow. The procession may be a colorful affair, but it's hardly frivolous, with centuries of tradition and the solemnity of the event behind each ritual, liturgical object and item of clothing. "It's not the building. It's not the vestments. It's the spirituality," said Capuchin friar Kaisar Sihombing. "There is something deeper." The Indonesian friar, 35, was milling in St Peter's Square on May 6, dressed in the sober brown tunic and cord around the waist that mark the Franciscan orders, which take a vow of poverty. The conclave's pomp and circumstance, he said, is "all part of the identity of the Church -- there's nothing wrong with it". In his foreword to a 2018 exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- site of the Met Gala -- on "Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," curator Andrew Bolton called dress "fundamental" to any discussion about religion. "Although some might regard fashion as a frivolous pursuit far removed from the sanctity of religion, most of the vestments worn by the secular clergy and religious orders of the Catholic Church actually have their origins in secular dress," he wrote. Throughout the Church's history, such garments have "affirmed religious allegiances, asserted religious differences, and functioned to distinguish hierarchies as well as gender," he
ABC News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
What goes on inside the conclave to elect the next pope?
One of the world's most famous tourist attractions will take centre stage as the process begins to elect a new head of the Catholic Church after the death of Pope Francis. Cardinals will convene inside the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to vote in a papal conclave. One of them will leave as the new pope. It is a tradition shrouded in secrecy, but this is what we know about how it works. Fast facts: Cardinals have to be under 80 years old to be eligible to vote in the election of the next pope The secret meeting in the Sistine Chapel is called the conclave, which comes from Latin for "with a key'' Voting must start between 15 and 20 days after the papacy becomes vacant A two-thirds majority is needed for a new pope to be elected It starts with daily meetings Now Pope Francis has died, the cardinals will meet every morning for general congregations to discuss issues facing the church. The new pope will be elected from the group of cardinals who will come together inside the Sistine Chapel to vote. This is called the conclave, and it must start between 15 and 20 days after the "sede vacante" – a Latin phrase that means "with the seat being vacant". Catholic Church historian Miles Pattenden says the election of a new pope is a "decisive moment that will define how the church develops". The cardinals will cast their ballots in a chapel which has Michelangelo's soaring Last Judgment on one wall, and his depiction of the hand of God giving life to Adam above them. ( Reuters: Osservatore Romano ) What happens during the conclave? The cardinals will vote to select a new pope once on the first day, and twice on each following day if no decision is reached. A two-thirds majority is needed for a new pope to be elected. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are allowed to vote. Australia has just one cardinal, 44-year-old Melbourne Bishop Mykola Bychock, who became the youngest member of the College of Cardinals in 2024. He is Australia's highest-ranking Catholic and the first Australian cardinal since George Pell. Three other voting cardinals represent Oceania — John Dew of New Zealand, John Ribat of Papua New Guinea and Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga. Shut off from the world, cardinals cast their ballots in the Sistine Chapel. ( Vatican CTV via Reuters TV ) During the conclave, the cardinals will stay at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a guest house in Vatican City, with no communication with the outside world. People watch from St Peter's Square as cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave in 2013. ( Reuters: Giampiero Sposito ) What happens during the conclave has become more secretive over time. Dr Pattenden says more is known about what happened in conclaves of the 16th century, when all the major European powers had agents inside the conclave, than what takes place now. Swiss Guards flank the closed doors to the Sistine Chapel as cardinals begin the conclave in 2013. ( Reuters: Osservatore Romano ) He says the secretive nature of the conclave is important, both ideologically and theologically. "The idea is that God, through the Holy Spirit, guides the cardinals to choose the right man as pope to make God's choice," Dr Pattenden said. " If everybody knows the nature of all the discussions … that rather undermines that as a play. " How do the cardinals cast their votes? Each cardinal writes his choice on a paper inscribed with the words "Eligo in summen pontificem", which is Latin for "I elect as Supreme Pontiff". They approach the altar one by one to deliver their ballots and say: " I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected. " Three scrutineers open the ballots and read them aloud. As the scrutineer reads out each name, he pierces each ballot with a needle, binds the ballots with thread and ties a knot. The results are added up and written down. If no two-thirds majority has been reached, the ballots are then put aside and burned in the chapel stove along with a chemical, sending black smoke up through the chapel's chimney, which is visible from the outside. Black smoke indicates no decision has been made. ( Reuters: Kimimasa Mayama ) The black colour indicates no new pope has yet been chosen. If no result has been reached in three days, the sessions are suspended for a day to allow for prayer and discussion. In 2013 it took two days to elect Pope Francis. Dr Pattenden says conversations between the cardinals have likely been going on for "several years" in preparation for a swift conclave. "There's a lot of pressure, particularly brought by the modern media cycle, to resolve things quickly, so they can't sit there as they sometimes did in the 18th century for six months until they can work out what the political solution is," he says. Catholic faithful shelter from the rain while waiting for smoke to rise from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel in 2013. ( Reuters: Stefano Rellandini ) Why everyone is watching for white smoke If a two-thirds majority has been reached, the master of liturgical ceremonies enters the Sistine Chapel. The senior cardinal asks the cardinal who has been elected: " Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff? " In theory, a cardinal can refuse the papacy. But in all likelihood, these intentions would have been made clear in the course of the discussions leading up to the vote. So, assuming the chosen cardinal says "I accept", the senior cardinal then asks: "By what name do you wish to be called?" This time, white smoke pours out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, and the bells of St Peter's Basilica toll. White smoke will rise from the chimney to tell the world a new pope has been elected. ( Reuters: Max Rossi ) Inside the chapel, the cardinal announces what his name as pope will be. The new pope then changes into his papal white cassock. One by one the cardinals approach him to swear their obedience. The new pope then stops to pray in Cappella Paolina — the Pauline Chapel. Newly elected pope greets the world The proto deacon, who is the longest-serving cardinal deacon in the College of Cardinals, then steps onto the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square and announces "Habemus Papam!" — Latin for "We have a pope." The new pope emerges and delivers his first public words as pontiff to the waiting crowd. The newly elected Pope Francis waves to the crowd after the conclave of cardinals in 2013. ( Reuters: Osservatore Romano ) Dr Pattenden says making a good first impression will be important. "If you think back to 2013 when Francis came out there all smiles and waving, that was very important for kind of establishing that positive image of him which has been maintained over the last 10 years as a kind of humble, simple but good man," he says. Pope Francis's balcony appearance helped set the tone for the type of leader he would be. ( Reuters: Dylan Martinez ) Beyond what the new pope has to say, Dr Pattenden says Vatican observers will also be looking at what language the new pope chooses to speak in. He says it could serve as a powerful statement about "how he sees his place in the world". What influence has Francis had on electing his successor? Pope Francis has appointed about two-thirds of the cardinals who will vote in the coming conclave, including 18 new eligible cardinals in October 2023. Newly selected cardinals arrive at the mass to open the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican in October 2023. ( Reuters: Guglielmo Mangiapane ) However, Dr Pattenden says cardinals are "free agents" and are not obliged to follow the previous pope's wishes. "Even though the pope has an exclusive right to appoint the cardinals who then choose his successor, no pope has ever really been able to control the successor's conclave," he says. In saying this, Dr Pattenden says it would be surprising if the next pope didn't, broadly speaking, share Pope Francis's views on social justice and the role of the church in the world.
RNZ News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Pope Francis: Life as head of Catholic Church in pictures
Pope Francis who has died at the age of 88. Photo: AFP The 12-year papacy of Pope Francis has come to an end with his death today . He was the first non-European pope in 1300 years, the first from Latin America and the first Jesuit to hold the post. Francis made 47 trips outside of Italy, visiting more than 65 states and territories, clocking up more than 465,000km. However, he never returned to his native Argentina, Reuters reports. Here's a look at some of the pictorial highlights of his time as head of the Catholic Church. Follow updates with RNZ's live blog. Pope Francis gives his blessing from a balcony at the Vatican in December 2013. Photo: AFP / Osservatore Romano Pope Francis baptising a child in the Sistine chapel in Rome in January 2014. Photo: AFP / Osservatore Romano Cardinal Kelvin Edward Felix receives his beret as he is appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in Rome in February 2014. Photo: AFP The Pope meets Queen Elizabeth II at the Vatican in April 2014. Photo: Pool / AFP Pope Francis shakes hands with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as Israeli President Shimon Peres looks on, in June 2014. Photo: AFP Pope Francis departed from the Philippines four hours earlier than scheduled, in Januray 2015, due to a tropical storm. Photo: AFP Soane Patita Paini Mafi, bishop of Tonga, is elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Francis during a consistory, on February 14, 2015 at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Photo: AFP Pope Francis welcomes a group of Syrian refugees after landing in Rome following a visit at the Moria refugee camp, in 2016. Photo: AFP Pope Francis waves to the faithful as he arrives to lead the Holy Mass at Phoenix Park in Dublin, on 27 August 2018. Photo: AFP Pope Francis, with his back to camera, greets Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg, during his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 17, 2019. Photo: AP Pope Francis arrives in Iraq, in March 2021. On the right is Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi. Photo: AFP The Pope visits the ancient city of Ur, in Iraq, during his visit to the country. Photo: AFP Joe Biden, US President at the time, meets the Pope, in October 2021, at the sidelines of the G20 summit that was being held in Rome. Photo: AFP or licensors Pope Francis meets members of an indigenous tribe at Edmonton International Airport in Alberta, western Canada in 2022. He was visiting to apologise for the Catholic Church's treatment of indigenous people. Photo: AFP / Vatican Media The visit of Pope Francis to Papua New Guinea between 6-9 July 2024. Photo: PNG Government Pope Francis celebrates the mass for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces at St. Peter's square in the Vatican on February 9, 2025. Photo: AFP / Alberto Pizzoli Pope Francis during a private meeting with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla in The Vatican on 9 April. Photo: AFP / Vatican Media Pope Francis during a private meeting with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla in The Vatican on 9 April, shortly after his release from hospital.
Irish Independent
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Michael Kelly: Pope Francis was never afraid to prick the conscience of both liberals and conservatives
The late pontiff saw the empowerment of the poor as the great antidote to the 'might is right' law of the jungle of unregulated capitalism Pope Francis was elected on a reform agenda after Pope Benedict resigned. Photo: Osservatore Romano/Vatican Media/Handout via Reuters/File Photo Shortly after his election as pope 33 years later, I met him in Rome and asked him about his time in Ranelagh. He had little recollection of it. The fact that we conversed in Italian perhaps too revealed that his plan to learn English in Dublin had not been a roaring success. He clearly cut an unremarkable figure at the time; fellow Jesuits who lived in the Milltown Park residence didn't recall his sojourn there. The only record of his stay is in a dusty ledger that recalls he borrowed £14 from the bursar to buy English language cassette tapes. The money was never returned. The Dublin to which Fr Bergoglio arrived in January 1980 was bleak. A recession was hitting hard, and emigration remained stubbornly high. Taoiseach Charles Haughey would soon deliver his infamous 'living way beyond our means' speech. Ecclesiastically, however, the Catholic Church was at the height of its power. Just months earlier, John Paul II had become the first pope to visit Ireland – a huge mark of pride for a new state still less than 60 years old, but with an ancient Catholic tradition. When more than a million souls fell silent as Frank Patterson sang Faith of Our Fathers in the Phoenix Park, the Polish pontiff was in no doubt that he was in a country that was steeped in Catholicism. Fr Bergoglio cannot have been unaware of the remarkable scenes that saw almost half the population of the island turn out to see the pope in 1979. The contrast could not have been greater when Francis himself celebrated Mass in the Phoenix Park in 2018. The mud caused by the torrential rain reflected a church that was no longer all-powerful but bogged down in crises – mostly of its own making. It's ironic that it was the church's first pope from Latin America who was forced to confront the fall-out from a combination of secularism and scandal that rocked the church in traditional bastions such as Ireland. And yet, in his humble style and manner, Francis was perhaps best placed to speak to a western world that had grown increasingly estranged from its Christian roots. His eschewing of elaborate vestments and the trappings of the papal palace meant that people took his talk of simplicity and sustainability seriously. His emphasis on climate change and social justice put him firmly on the side of many younger people who will deal with the consequences or our unequal and unjust world long after those who have contributed to our woes are gone. Above everything else, Francis spoke about mercy. He saw mercy and the empowerment of the poor as the great antidote to the 'might is right' law of the jungle of unregulated capitalism. He was never afraid to prick the conscience of the world. When political leaders would try to enlist him to their latest cause, he refused to stick to the script. When liberal leaders lauded his environmentalism, he would ask them why they supported euthanasia. When conservative leaders came to Rome for a photo op brandishing their pro-life credentials, he would demand to know why they didn't do more to help the poor. Francis saw the defence of the vulnerable as a single project. He constantly denounced what he called our 'throwaway culture' where those considered inconvenient – the poor, drug addicts, prisoners, the unborn, the sick and elderly – were disregarded. You can't please everyone. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI certainly didn't, and Francis didn't either. He was elected on a reform agenda after Benedict resigned, the Vatican in turmoil after the papal butler was imprisoned for stealing confidential documents. Francis's success in reforming Vatican finances was limited. He was also slow to understand the gravity of the clerical abuse crisis that has gripped the church globally since the early 1990s. He has disappointed victims and campaigners alike by not insisting on the sort of transparency they long for. His vision of the church – men and women, clerical and lay working closely together sharing power and responsibility – has been slow to crystalise. Describing the church of the future as synodal – people walking together trying to discern the best ay forward – Francis has sought to involve and consult people like never before. Under his watch, some 1.2 billion Catholics were invited to meetings in their parishes to canvass their views on issues as diverse as whether they think priests should be allowed to get married, or the church should bless same-sex couples. But the consultation also caused dismay. Liberal Catholics delighted to be asked their opinion on the ordination of women found the door slammed in their face when Francis later dismissed the possibility. Conservatives, who longed for the certainty offered by Benedict XVI, criticised him for causing confusion by giving the impression that he was open to changing core doctrines to make them more palatable to the lapsed. Of course, the church is not about market share, and numbers are a crude barometer of success. But numbers do matter, and while the church is growing rapidly in Asia and Africa, the decline in the west was not halted under Francis – despite his obvious popularity. Then again, perhaps Catholics expected too much of the pope who was, after all, just one man. In seeking to empower Catholics in their own parish and wider church, Francis was really calling for a grown-up faith where people are treated not like children, but as adults. If that takes root, it may well open the way for people to once again look at the Gospel message free from the baggage of the past. There would indeed be a quiet revolution that would make Francis deeply impactful on the church of the 21st century long after he left us. Michael Kelly is director of public affairs for the papal foundation Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland
