CONCLAVE composite picture from Inquirer inventory and file images
MANILA, Philippines—With Pope Francis nonetheless in essential situation, some might ask what occurs when the Holy See turns into sede vacante after the resignation or demise of a pope.
Final Feb. 14, the 88-year-old Bishop of Rome was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital due to bronchitis that later developed into bilateral lung an infection, which triggered the early levels of kidney failure.
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However whereas the Vatican acknowledged on Monday, Feb. 24, that there was a “slight enchancment” within the well being of Pope Francis, medical doctors declined to “determine on the prognosis” due to the “complexity of the scientific image.”
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So when a pope steps down or passes away, how would the Church choose the subsequent vicar of Christ, who is predicted to steer 1.375 billion Catholics in over 3,000 dioceses everywhere in the world?
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Like how Pope Francis was elected in 2013 after the resignation of his predecessor, the late Benedict XVI, the successor could be chosen in a conclave on the Sistine Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica.
When does a conclave begin?
As defined by the USA Convention of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), when a pope resigns or passes away, the governance of the Church shifts to the Faculty of Cardinals.
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Cardinals, or princes of the Church, who’re recognizable of their distinctive pink vestments, advise the pope and elect a brand new one when the Holy See turns into sede vacante.
Most frequently, a conclave begins 15 to twenty days after the resignation or demise of a pope, when the cardinals collect in St. Peter’s Basilica for a Mass to ask the Holy Spirit to steer them in electing a brand new bishop of Rome.
Who can develop into pope?
Based mostly on the Code of Canon Legislation, somebody who’s male and Catholic might be elected pope, however since 1379, all successors to the Chair of St. Peter have been chosen from the cardinals.
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As of Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Church has 252 cardinals, with 138 of them eligible to vote in a conclave since solely these beneath the age of 80 can participate within the choice of a pope.
Again in 1975, Pope Paul VI directed that the variety of cardinals who can elect a vicar of Christ, shouldn’t be greater than 120, however this has been exceeded within the final three pontificates.
How do cardinals solid their vote?
The USCCB acknowledged that for the conclave itself, the cardinals beneath the age of 80 who’re referred to as cardinal electors proceed to the Sistine Chapel and make a promise of absolute secrecy earlier than they get locked inside.
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They vote by secret poll, continuing one after the other to Michaelangelo’s art work of the Final Judgment, saying a prayer and dropping the twice-folded piece of paper in a chalice.
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The outcomes of every poll are counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as scrutineers. When nobody receives the required vote, the items of paper are positioned on hearth with a combination of chemical substances to provide black smoke.
What number of votes are required?
To be elected pope, two-thirds of the votes, or 92, are required. Out of the 138 cardinal electors, 110 had been created by Pope Francis, whereas 23 and 5 had been created by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope, now St. John Paul II, respectively.
Solely 4 rounds of balloting are taken day by day until a candidate receives the required vote.
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Three of the 138 cardinal electors are Filipinos — Luis Antonio Tagle of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Jose Advincula of the Archdiocese of Manila, and Pablo Virgilio David of the Diocese of Kalookan.
What’s subsequent when the required vote is met?
When a cardinal receives the required two-thirds vote, the dean of the Faculty of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, asks him if he accepts the election. As soon as accepted, he chooses a reputation and is wearing vestments.
The ballots of the ultimate spherical are positioned on hearth with chemical substances producing white smoke to sign to the world the election of a brand new pope. The brand new bishop of Rome then proceeds to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
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However earlier than the brand new pope presents himself to the general public and imparts his blessing on the town of Rome and the world, the senior cardinal deacon states the Latin phrases Habemus Papam, which implies “we now have a pope.”
