Latest news with #RanieroCantalamessa
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE British cardinal reveals Pope Leo's reaction upon being elected and suggests he 'won't be afraid of tyrants' after notoriously secretive papal conclave
A British cardinal involved in the election of Pope XIV has spoken about the secretive process to elect him – and revealed the first black smoke was late because of a lengthy sermon. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, 79, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, was one of 133 cardinals involved in the Conclave and described how 'every single step was meticulously followed'. On Wednesday a crowd of 45,000 had waited patiently for the first sign of smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney which had been due at 7pm but instead it wafted black to show no Pope had been elected more than two hours late. Liverpool born Cardinal Nichols described the experience as 'remarkable' and revealed the smoke was late because papal priest Raniero Cantalamessa, 91, had over run his sermon by almost an hour. He said: 'I think it's well known that Fr Cantalamessa gave a very long talk…it must have been an hour or more. 'One person said it was his valedictory address, and it was splendid stuff. 'It was suggested that it would be half an hour at the most, but it went on a lot longer. Patience is a good virtue, and it can't be easily demonstrated unless you are doing it.' Revealing the details of how the Conclave worked Cardinal Nichols said: 'There was a remarkable sense of fraternity, with people from all over the world. For Cardinal Nichols, who is the Archbishop of Westminster, it was also his first Conclave and he just made the 80 years old cut off limit 'There was no distraction from mobile phones and there was a great spirit among the group of us. 'It was a time of great patience because we followed every single step meticulously and that took time, taking the other took a long time and the process of voting also took a long time.' For Cardinal Nichols, who is the Archbishop of Westminster, it was also his first Conclave, and he just made the 80 years old cut off limit. And in an intriguing comment, speaking about a former Pope Leo, Cardinal Nichols said: 'In 452 AD Leo turned back Attila the Hun on the edge of the city of Rome, so he won't be afraid of tyrants.' When asked whether he was referring to President Donald Trump, Cardinal Nichols replied: 'You might hear that, I didn't say it.' He went on: 'It was a very rapid decision, just four votes, and I think that's because Pope Francis left a College of Cardinals that shared his vision and spirit to be a missionary church. 'I would say Pope Leo is a citizen of the world, and once we reflected, it was pretty clear that here was a man who as bringing the right depth to the church and experience. 'There was actually quite a bit of me that didn't want to leave because it was such a spiritual experience in there and I will treasure it deeply. 'He is very calm, clear in his mind decisive and I've seen him resolve difficulties that didn't leave enemies behind, and he can pull people together.' Describing the moment the former cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was asked if he accepted being named Pope, Cardinal Nichols said:' He took it very matter of factly, there was no real emotion. He took it all in his stride. 'There was a real sense of elation when he accepted the position of Pope. I was standing just a few feet away as he spoke and he was so very calm.' Then giving his first reaction to his beloved Liverpool winning the Premier League, he told the Mail: 'That was just as ecstatic.'
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
New Pope chosen as white smoke billows from Sistine Chapel chimney
A new pope has been elected after white smoke bellowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney - as 133 cardinals finally reached a verdict. Cardinals had returned to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday to resume voting for a new pope, after a first conclave ballot failed to find a winner and sent black smoke billowing through the chapel chimney. They had to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope. Casting and counting ballots for a new pope had have taken longer than expected on Wednesday evening because of the large number of cardinals participating and the linguistic diversity among them. The electors hail from 70 countries, and not all speak or understand Italian fluently, which could have slowed down the proceedings if help with translation was needed. While in the past Latin was the universal language of the church, nowadays not all cardinals understand Latin or even Italian, the lingua franca of the Vatican. Another unknown was the length of the meditation delivered by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa after the Sistine Chapel doors closed and the voting began. Cantalamessa is the retired preacher of the papal household. Up to four rounds of voting can take place each full day of conclave, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Smoke is only expected up to twice a day, as ballots from two successive rounds are generally burned together if no pope is chosen in either round. The voting cardinals began their behind-closed-doors meeting shortly before 5pm UK time on Wednesday. Pope Francis was elected after five ballots, and white smoke on the second day of that conclave confirmed the news to the world in 2013. The voting ballots are burned with chemicals added in a special furnace to ensure the colour signals the correct result. For black, to indicate no-one has been elected, the ballots are mixed with cartridges containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene – which is a component of coal tar – and sulfur. For white to signal a new pontiff has been chosen, potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin are added to the burning ballots. The cardinals in this conclave are gathering to elect the 267th pope and have, as is tradition, been cut off from communications with the outside world. At a pre-conclave mass on Wednesday, they were reminded of the 'choice of exceptional importance' they must make in electing the next pope. Should the cardinals fail to reach an agreement on a candidate after three days of voting, they are entitled to a one-day break for prayer and free discussion. Three UK cardinals are taking part in the conclave: Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe and Rome-based Cardinal Arthur Roche. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is Irish-born, is considered an American cardinal, having ministered mainly in the US. The pontiff – believed to be someone called to be the successor to St Peter, who was the first pope – will need to be a person who can 'awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today's society, characterised by great technological progress but which tends to forget God', Cardinal Battista Re added. Pope Francis had appointed some 108 of the 133 cardinals who will choose his successor. Dubbed the people's pope, he was a popular pontiff whose death on Easter Monday sparked tributes from leaders across the world and whose funeral drew hundreds of thousands of mourners.
RTÉ News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Seagulls provide levity during conclave at Sistine Chapel
Seagulls have found themselves in starring roles since the live streaming of the Sistine Chapel chimney began at the 2005 conclave. In 2013, during the conclave to elect Pope Francis, a seagull which perched on the chimney, ended up trending on social media. Memes were created and the 'Sistine Seagull', "live tweeted" the conclave from the bird's perspective. As hours rolled by last night - before smoke emerged to signal the result of the first vote - seagulls appeared on camera providing some levity. One gull perched on the roof for a lengthy period, was commended on social media for its patience in waiting for smoke to emerge. As people watched and waited, speculation and conjecture about what was going on inside the Sistine Chapel was rife. Due to the secretive nature of the conclave, it may be difficult to determine what happened on day one. Some questioned if Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, whose meditation inviting the cardinals into a space of prayer and discernment beforehand, ran over the 10 minute allotted time. As time ticked by, others tentatively questioned whether one of the cardinals could have possibly reached a two-thirds majority on the first vote. A situation unheard of for centuries. Or could the Camerlengo Kevin Farrell have decided to go ahead with a second ballot on the night? "It would be a very Irish approach to it all - to get it done," one person remarked. Black smoke eventually billowed from the Sistine Chapel at 8pm Irish time, offering an answer. Cardinals could not reach a two-thirds majority. They would return to the Sistine Chapel for the next round of voting which begins this morning at 9.30am Irish time. If no candidate is elected, they will move to a third ballot before lunchtime and if no one is elected on that ballot, black smoke will again signal that result. The voting process will continue in that vein with smoke rising twice a day. If a cardinal reaches the majority, white smoke will be the first signal that a new pope has been elected. However, considering that there are 133 cardinal electors from around the world - the process is bound to take time. After all, it is the largest number of electors in history. It has led to questions as to whether cardinals will be able to complete the task within three days, as many of them predicted. Or will those watching the Sistine Chapel live stream end up being absorbed by the activity of Vatican seagulls for a bit longer.
