Latest news with #Pattenden
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Water firm criticised over leak during dry weather
Frustrated villagers have accused Yorkshire Water of failing to tackle leaks ahead of potential water shortages forecast for later this year. Residents in Cherry Burton, East Yorkshire, said they had alerted the company to a leaking pipe near crossroads outside the village. They claimed it had been leaking for months, despite an attempt by the utility firm to fix it earlier this year. After being contacted by the BBC, Yorkshire Water apologised for the delay and said a team had been tasked with repairing the leak on Tuesday evening. Villager David Pattenden said he believed the leak had been a problem for more than four months. A steady flow of water had been bubbling up to form a small stream before running into a drain further down the road. He said he was surprised that Yorkshire Water had not done more to fix it, given warnings from the industry about water conservation and potential shortages in the event of a drought. "It's about time Yorkshire Water took some notice of their own advice," Mr Pattenden said. "There's a lot of dripping taps here." Judith Steel, a 77-year-old resident, added: "Everybody thinks that the water charges are extortionate and they ought to do something about repairs, maintenance and clean water. "It really is actually shocking." Last month, the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies following the driest start to spring since 1956. Meanwhile, Yorkshire Water raised the prospect of a hosepipe ban if the sustained dry weather continued, but said it had reduced leakage in the region by 15%. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Yorkshire Water told the BBC that an "initial inspection" of the leak in Cherry Burton had shown it to be "more complex than anticipated". This meant it required "an overnight fix, so that pressure and supply issues are kept to a minimum". The spokesperson said a team was due to be on site on Tuesday evening. "We would like to thank the residents of Cherry Burton for their diligence in reporting leakages as this really helps us to identify issues and protect the network," they added. "We appreciate that this has taken us longer to rectify and is not indicative of our usual standards and as such, we would like to apologise to customers in the village for the delay." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Drinking water shortage in decade without new reservoirs, minister says Hosepipe ban 'unless rain comes' - Yorkshire Water Yorkshire Water fined over watercourse sewage leak Stocks remain low despite rain - Yorkshire Water Yorkshire Water: Report a leak Cherry Burton Facebook Group
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Pope Leo's looming challenge as Catholic Church eyes jaw-dropping debt
Pope Leo will be tasked with tackling the Vatican's estimated £70 million debt while hoping to navigate an increasingly diverse Catholic Church that continues to swell in numbers Pope Leo XIV faces a "difficult challenge" ahead as he seeks to chart a course in his first 100 days ahead while keeping Catholics happy. The American-born pontiff was named yesterday as the Vatican wrestles with its identity in the 21st century, while facing a looming economic black hole. Cardinals turned to Robert Prevost to be their man to navigate the Vatican's eye-watering £70million debt while steering the papacy toward a more moderate path following Pope Francis' polarising 12-year tenure. As with any new pontiff, Pope Leo will be keen to signal to his fellow Catholics what his leadership will mean for them and the church in the first 100 days and years ahead. Dr Miles Pattenden, programme director at the Europaeum - a network of leading universities - told The Mirror one of the most important signals made by the new Pope was the choosing of his name, Leo. The last Pope Leo XIII was known for being dedicated to social justice and workers' rights while redefining the papacy's role into one that stripped back its political influence in Italy. "He sort of allows the church, he allows the cardinals to avoid having to choose between the two directions that they might otherwise have gone," Dr Pattenden tells us. "He has experience as an administrator, something that was, perhaps, a little bit lacking with Pope Francis, who had been considered a bit chaotic. He will be seen as a steadier hand." But the coming days and weeks will define Leo's papacy, with the new Pope needing to settle on how to handle two major upcoming moments in the early stages of his tenure. Dr Pattenden continued: "The first things we'll be looking out for is who does he appoint to to the Vatican's jobs. It's kind of like a US administration in the sense that when the pope dies everyone loses their job at the Vatican and the new pope needs to reconfirm them or replace them. "The other one to look out for is where he decides to travel to first. Pope Francis first went to the small island of Lampedusa (a major destination for migrants entering Europe) in the south of Italy, and that really set out his stall. Let's see what Pope Leo does, if he goes back to the United States, that tells us something quite significant I think, or if he goes back to Peru." But the expert did concede it might be "a little while" before Pope Leo's vision for the Catholic Church becomes more clear. His less outspoken stance earned plaudits within the College of Cardinals, who looked to a safe pair of administrative hands to tackle the Vatican's piling debt. "They wanted someone who could get the Vatican back in order, remember it currently runs an €80million deficit, and it has a €600million hole in its pension fund amongst a lot of other things," Dr Pattenden added. "So, there is a lot that needs sorting out." The new pope will also need to navigate a growing but also more diverse Catholic Church that is pulling in both more conservative and liberal directions. Dr Pattenden told The Mirror: "He's got a difficult challenge keeping together different groups, which are typically different in their interests. The church is growing in Africa and Asia as well as growing among a certain kind of conservative constituency in Europe and North America. "The conservatives in Europe and North America are attracted by the traditional rituals, which is the exact opposite of the kind of charismatic, folksy approach that we see in Asia. How he balances those different conditions that the church should celebrate is one problem as is the social teaching. "There are plenty of Catholics who want to see a very traditional teaching but there are also plenty of Catholics who are more in line with the norms of Western society," he added.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Anti-Popes, 1,000-day stand-offs and a challenge to personal hygiene: Quirky facts about the Conclave
Conclave, the movie, may have introduced movie-goers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the periodic voting to elect a new pope has been going on for centuries and created a whole genre of historical trivia. Here are some fun facts about conclaves past, derived from historical studies including Miles Pattenden's 'Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 1450–1700' and interviews with experts including Elena Cangiano, an archeologist at Viterbo's Palazzo dei Papi (Palace of the Popes). The longest conclave in history In the 13th century, it took almost three years — 1,006 days to be exact — to choose Pope Clement IV's successor, making it the longest conclave in the Catholic Church 's history. It's also where the term conclave comes from — "under lock and key," because the cardinals who were meeting in Viterbo, north of Rome, took so long the town's frustrated citizens locked them in the room. The secret vote that elected Pope Gregory X lasted from November 1268 to September 1271. It was the first example of a papal election by 'compromise,' after a long struggle between supporters of two main geopolitical medieval factions — those faithful to the papacy and those supporting the Holy Roman Empire. 'One meal a day' rule Gregory X was elected only after Viterbo residents tore the roof off the building where the prelates were staying and restricted their meals to bread and water to pressure them to come to a conclusion. Hoping to avoid a repeat, Gregory X decreed in 1274 that cardinals would only get 'one meal a day' if the conclave stretched beyond three days, and only 'bread, water and wine' if it went beyond eight. That restriction has been dropped. The shortest conclave ever Before 1274, there were times when a pope was elected the same day as the death of his predecessor. After that, however, the church decided to wait at least 10 days before the first vote. Later that was extended to 15 days to give all cardinals time to get to Rome. The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni. In more recent times, Pope Francis was elected in 2013 on the fifth ballot, Benedict XVI won in 2005 on the fourth and Pope Pius XII won on the third in 1939. The first conclave in the Sistine Chapel The first conclave held under Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel was in 1492. Since 1878, the world-renowned chapel has become the venue of all conclaves. 'Everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged,' St. John Paul II wrote in his 1996 document regulating the conclave, 'Universi Dominici Gregis.' The cardinals sleep a short distance away in the nearby Domus Santa Marta hotel or a nearby residence. The alternative locations Most conclaves were held in Rome, with some taking place outside the Vatican walls. Four were held in the Pauline Chapel of the papal residence at the Quirinale Palace, while some 30 others were held in St. John Lateran Basilica, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva or other places in Rome. On 15 occasions they took place outside Rome and the Vatican altogether, including in Viterbo, Perugia, Arezzo and Venice in Italy, and Konstanz, Germany and Lyon, France. The alternative popes, or anti-popes Between 1378-1417, referred by historians to as the Western Schism, there were rival claimants to the title of pope. The schism produced multiple papal contenders, the so-called anti-popes, splitting the Catholic Church for nearly 40 years. The most prominent anti-popes during the Western Schism were Clement VII, Benedict XIII, Alexander V, and John XXIII. The schism was ultimately resolved by the Council of Constance in 1417, which led to the election of Martin V, a universally accepted pontiff. A challenge to personal hygiene The cloistered nature of the conclave posed another challenge for cardinals: staying healthy. Before the Domus Santa Marta guest-house was built in 1996, cardinal electors slept on cots in rooms connected to the Sistine Chapel. Conclaves in the 16th and 17th centuries were described as 'disgusting' and 'badly smelling,' with concern about disease outbreaks, particularly in summer, according to historian Miles Pattenden. 'The cardinals simply had to have a more regular and comfortable way of living because they were old men, many of them with quite advanced disease,' Pattenden wrote. The enclosed space and lack of ventilation further aggravated these issues. Some of the electors left the conclave sick, often seriously. Vow of secrecy Initially, papal elections weren't as secretive but concerns about political interference soared during the longest conclave in Viterbo. Gregory X decreed that cardinal electors should be locked in seclusion, 'cum clave' (with a key), until a new pope was chosen. The purpose was to create a totally secluded environment where the cardinals could focus on their task, guided by God's will, without any political interference or distractions. Over the centuries, various popes have modified and reinforced the rules surrounding the conclave, emphasizing the importance of secrecy. Pope John XII was just 18 when he was elected in 955. The oldest popes were Pope Celestine III (elected in 1191) and Celestine V (elected in 1294) who were both nearly 85. Benedict XVI was 78 when he was elected in 2005. A non-cardinal pope and non-Italian pope There is no requirement that a pope be a cardinal, but that has been the case for centuries. The last time a pope was elected who wasn't a cardinal was Urban VI in 1378. He was a monk and archbishop of Bari. While the Italians have had a stranglehold on the papacy over centuries, there have been many exceptions aside from John Paul II (Polish in 1978) and Benedict XVI (German in 2005) and Francis (Argentine in 2013). Alexander VI, elected in 1492, was Spanish; Gregory III, elected in 731, was Syrian; Adrian VI, elected in 1522, was from the Netherlands.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did Pope Francis ‘Pack' the Conclave?
Cardinals attend the conclave at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on March 12, 2013. Credit - L'Ossservatore Romano—When white smoke billowed out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on March 13, 2013, alerting the public that the 115 cardinal electors inside had concluded their voting, few members of the public might have expected the Catholic Church's 266th Pope to be Jorge Mario Bergoglio. At 76, Bergoglio was considered too old to be included on most media lists of papabili, or likely candidates for Pope. Prior to his papacy, bishops and cardinals typically submitted their resignations at 75. And the cardinal electors, who have always elected one of their own ranks, have an age cap of 80. Hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio became the first Latin American Pope and the first non-European Pope in over 1,200 years. He was also the first Jesuit Pope—a Catholic religious order that emphasizes service to the marginalized. Upon his election, Bergoglio took the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, who was known for his asceticism and ministry to the poor. Overall, Francis was regarded as less conservative than his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI. Read More: Pope Francis' Greatest Achievement Was Emphasizing Mercy With Francis' death on Monday, at age 88, up to 135 eligible cardinal electors will decide on his successor. One hundred and eight—or 80%—of them were appointed by Francis during his papacy. It's a fact that has left some wondering if the late Pope essentially 'packed the court' to guarantee a continuation of his legacy. But experts suggest it'll be as difficult to predict as Francis' own election was. 'The history of the papacy of many hundreds of years suggests it's very difficult for a Pope to control the election that follows his own death,' Miles Pattenden, a historian of the Catholic Church at Oxford University tells TIME. Cardinals are 'their own men,' and even those picked by Francis may have their own opinions. 'It's very simplistic to say cardinals just vote along ideological lines as though they're part of political parties,' Pattenden says. 'That's not how the Vatican works.' Pattenden also points to an Italian proverb: 'After a fat Pope comes a thin one.' 'The idea of that is essentially that the cardinals very often focus on what they didn't like about the previous Pope, all the things they thought were his faults and flaws, and they look for someone who remedies those.' The first question on cardinals' minds will be whether they want change or continuity. This conclave is already likely to be different from those in the past, however, Pattenden says. Firstly, it's the largest number of eligible cardinal electors—in fact, it's the first time that the number of eligible electors at a conclave has exceeded the traditional cap of 120, although Pattenden says it's unlikely that the cap will be enforced. Secondly, the cardinals now are more geographically diverse than ever. In 2013, 51% of cardinal electors were European. Now, around 39% are, while around 18% come from the Asia-Pacific, 18% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 12% come from Sub-Saharan Africa, 10% from North America, and 3% come from the Middle East and North Africa. Francis played a big role in that shift. Of the 108 he appointed, 38% came from Europe, 19% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 19% from the Asia-Pacific, 12% from sub-Saharan Africa, 7% from North America, and 4% from the Middle East and North Africa. Francis appointed cardinals from 25 countries that had never before had one. His appointments include Chibly Langlois, the first cardinal from Haiti, Charles Maung Bo, the first cardinal from Myanmar, and Hyderabad Anthony Poola, the first of India's Dalit caste. On many papabili lists, the range of candidates include several who would be historic firsts as pontiffs from Asia, such as Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, or Africa, such as Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson. Read More: How a New Pope Is Chosen—and Who It Could Be Francis prioritized inclusion within the Vatican, Pattenden explains, and so in appointing cardinals, he looked across the world, often to small Catholic communities that had not been represented before: He felt that 'it shouldn't just be the case that big, well-established, rich, old Catholic communities get representation all the time,' but ideologically, 'Francis can't necessarily have known how all of these new cardinals will think, certainly their colleagues won't know—they may not even know themselves.' Carlos Eire, a professor of history and religious studies at Yale University, however, thinks it's likely that those Francis appointed will indeed lean ideologically left, noting that Francis did not appoint many conservative bishops to the College of Cardinals and that, while geographic diversity was a priority of his, theological diversity was not. Francis, for example, appointed American Robert McElroy in 2022, who is known for his advocacy on immigration and the environment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ Catholics, while reportedly bypassing more conservative archbishops. 'When it comes to religious issues,' says Eire, 'it is also highly likely that they will lean away from traditionalism.' 'Voting for a Pope is not much different from any other kind of voting. The voters have their preferences,' adds Eire. 'The only difference between this conclave and the House of Representatives or the European Parliament is that the cardinals pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit.' But, Pattenden says, it could come down more to charisma, competence, and piety than to ideology. On that measure, the geographic diversity of the College of Cardinals could make this conclave particularly unpredictable. 'They don't know each other as well as previous groups of cardinals will have done, and that's bound to have an impact,' Pattenden says. 'When you have to focus on one person's name to write down on that ballot paper, it may or may not be easier if you actually know the guy or if you've just met him a week or two before.' If the result of that favors better known cardinals, Pattenden says Tagle from the Philippines, who is known as one of the most charismatic figures in the college, or Pietro Parolin, who is the highest-ranking cardinal in the electing conclave, would be frontrunners. If neither of those two—or any other candidate—achieves the required two-thirds majority to win, it's likely that cardinals 'start casting a wider net,' says Pattenden, to candidates who may not have been their first choice. 'It's a very secretive process … The Church is very, very careful that we don't really know what happened,' Pattenden says, and what reports do come out later are often still not verified. 'This matters a lot in terms of the theology of the election: the idea is that God, through the Holy Spirit, comes down on the cardinals and inspires them and their choice. But the more that we know about what was said to who and who voted for what, the less plausible that idea is.' Contact us at letters@
Time Magazine
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Who Chooses the Next Pope—and Who Chose Them?
When white smoke billowed out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on March 13, 2013, alerting the public that the 115 cardinal electors inside had concluded their voting, few members of the public might have expected the Catholic Church's 266th Pope to be Jorge Mario Bergoglio. At 76, Bergoglio was considered too old to be included on most media lists of papabili, or likely candidates for Pope. Prior to his papacy, bishops and cardinals typically submitted their resignations at 75. And the cardinal electors, who have always elected one of their own ranks, have an age cap of 80. Hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio became the first Latin American Pope and the first non-European Pope in over 1,200 years. He was also the first Jesuit Pope—a Catholic religious order that emphasizes service to the marginalized. Upon his election, Bergoglio took the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, who was known for his asceticism and ministry to the poor. Overall, Francis was regarded as less conservative than his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI. With Francis' death on Monday, at age 88, up to 135 eligible cardinal electors will decide on his successor. One hundred and eight—or 80%—of them were appointed by Francis during his papacy. It's a fact that has left some wondering if the late Pope essentially ' packed the court ' to guarantee a continuation of his legacy. But experts suggest it'll be as difficult to predict as Francis' own election was. 'The history of the papacy of many hundreds of years suggests it's very difficult for a Pope to control the election that follows his own death,' Miles Pattenden, a historian of the Catholic Church at Oxford University tells TIME. Cardinals are 'their own men,' and even those picked by Francis may have their own opinions. 'It's very simplistic to say cardinals just vote along ideological lines as though they're part of political parties,' Pattenden says. 'That's not how the Vatican works.' Pattenden also points to an Italian proverb: 'After a fat Pope comes a thin one.' 'The idea of that is essentially that the cardinals very often focus on what they didn't like about the previous Pope, all the things they thought were his faults and flaws, and they look for someone who remedies those.' The first question on cardinals' minds will be whether they want change or continuity. This conclave is already likely to be different from those in the past, however, Pattenden says. Firstly, it's the largest number of eligible cardinal electors—in fact, it's the first time that the number of eligible electors at a conclave has exceeded the traditional cap of 120, although Pattenden says it's unlikely that the cap will be enforced. Secondly, the cardinals now are more geographically diverse than ever. In 2013, 51% of cardinal electors were European. Now, around 39% are, while around 18% come from the Asia-Pacific, 18% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 12% come from Sub-Saharan Africa, 10% from North America, and 3% come from the Middle East and North Africa. Francis played a big role in that shift. Of the 108 he appointed, 38% came from Europe, 19% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 19% from the Asia-Pacific, 12% from sub-Saharan Africa, 7% from North America, and 4% from the Middle East and North Africa. Francis appointed cardinals from 25 countries that had never before had one. His appointments include Chibly Langlois, the first cardinal from Haiti, Charles Maung Bo, the first cardinal from Myanmar, and Hyderabad Anthony Poola, the first of India's Dalit caste. On many papabili lists, the range of candidates include several who would be historic firsts as pontiffs from Asia, such as Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, or Africa, such as Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson. Francis prioritized inclusion within the Vatican, Pattenden explains, and so in appointing cardinals, he looked across the world, often to small Catholic communities that had not been represented before: He felt that 'it shouldn't just be the case that big, well-established, rich, old Catholic communities get representation all the time,' but ideologically, 'Francis can't necessarily have known how all of these new cardinals will think, certainly their colleagues won't know—they may not even know themselves.' Carlos Eire, a professor of history and religious studies at Yale University, however, thinks it's likely that those Francis appointed will indeed lean ideologically left, noting that Francis did not appoint many conservative bishops to the College of Cardinals and that, while geographic diversity was a priority of his, theological diversity was not. Francis, for example, appointed American Robert McElroy in 2022, who is known for his advocacy on immigration and the environment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ Catholics, while reportedly bypassing more conservative archbishops. 'When it comes to religious issues,' says Eire, 'it is also highly likely that they will lean away from traditionalism.' 'Voting for a Pope is not much different from any other kind of voting. The voters have their preferences,' adds Eire. 'The only difference between this conclave and the House of Representatives or the European Parliament is that the cardinals pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit.' But, Pattenden says, it could come down more to charisma, competence, and piety than to ideology. On that measure, the geographic diversity of the College of Cardinals could make this conclave particularly unpredictable. 'They don't know each other as well as previous groups of cardinals will have done, and that's bound to have an impact,' Pattenden says. 'When you have to focus on one person's name to write down on that ballot paper, it may or may not be easier if you actually know the guy or if you've just met him a week or two before.' If the result of that favors better known cardinals, Pattenden says Tagle from the Philippines, who is known as one of the most charismatic figures in the college, or Pietro Parolin, who is the highest-ranking cardinal in the electing conclave, would be frontrunners. If neither of those two—or any other candidate—achieves the required two-thirds majority to win, it's likely that cardinals 'start casting a wider net,' says Pattenden, to candidates who may not have been their first choice. 'It's a very secretive process … The Church is very, very careful that we don't really know what happened,' Pattenden says, and what reports do come out later are often still not verified. 'This matters a lot in terms of the theology of the election: the idea is that God, through the Holy Spirit, comes down on the cardinals and inspires them and their choice. But the more that we know about what was said to who and who voted for what, the less plausible that idea is.'
