Cardinals gathered in the fifth general Congregation today have chosen the date
By: Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican News
Published on:
“Extra omnes”. The historic Latin formula that marks the beginning of the key closure of the Sistine Chapel will be pronounced by the master of pontifical liturgical celebrations next Wednesday, May 7th. This is the start date of the Conclave. The date was decided this morning by the approximately 180 cardinals present (just over a hundred eligible voters) gathered in the Vatican in the fifth general Congregation.
“Extra omnes”, therefore. “Everyone out” who is not allowed to attend the meeting of the cardinals called to elect the next Pontiff of the universal Church. The eligible cardinals, under the age of eighty, will be isolated from the rest of the world inside the treasure trove of art and history that is the Sistine Chapel until the white smoke and the “Habemus Papam,” the other famous Latin formula pronounced by the cardinal protodeacon from the Loggia delle Benedizioni to announce to the world the choice of the new Pope.
No predictions on the conclusion, of course, and among the eligible cardinals, some hope for a short Conclave, considering the ongoing Jubilee, while others foresee longer times to allow the conclave members to ‘get to know each other better’, as Francis, in his ten consistories, has added cardinals from every corner of the globe to the College of Cardinals. Meanwhile, the Sistine Chapel has closed to the public starting today, April 28th, for preparations. Visits to the Vatican Gardens and the Necropolis of Via Triumphalis are also suspended.
The rules of Universi Dominici Gregis
The timing for the start of the Conclave is determined by the rules of the apostolic constitution of John Paul II, Universi Dominici Gregis, updated by Benedict XVI with the Motu Proprio of June 11, 2007, and the more recent one of February 22, 2013. According to the Constitution, the Conclave – from the Latin cum clave meaning locked with a key – begins between the fifteenth and twentieth day after the Pope’s death, after the Novendiales, the nine days of celebrations for the deceased Pontiff. In detail, from the moment the Apostolic See is legitimately vacant, the present eligible cardinals must wait for fifteen full days for the absentees, up to a maximum of twenty days if there are serious reasons. With the Motu Proprio Normas nonnullas, the College of Cardinals is also given the option to advance the start of the Conclave if all electors are present.
During these days, the cardinals are still expected in Rome, either because they are coming from the farthest corners of the world or for health reasons. In the Eternal City, they will be accommodated at Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican residence where Francis chose to live, giving up the papal apartment.
The Mass “pro eligendo Pontifice” and the procession to the Sistine Chapel
On the morning of Wednesday, May 7th, everyone will concelebrate the solemn Mass “pro eligendo Pontifice,” the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals who will invite his colleagues to proceed to the Sistine Chapel in the afternoon with these words: “The whole Church, united in prayer with us, constantly invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that a worthy Shepherd of the entire flock of Christ may be elected by us.”
From there, the impressive procession in choir dress to the Michelangelo’s Chapel, where the cardinals will sing the hymn Veni, creator Spiritus and take the oath. The Sistine Chapel will be set up with benches for the scrutinies and the stove where the voting ballots will be burned. To elect the Pope, a qualified two-thirds majority is required. Four scrutinies are planned each day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, and after the 33rd or 34th ballot, however, a runoff between the two cardinals with the most votes in the last ballot will be held. In this case as well, a two-thirds majority is always required. The two remaining cardinals in the running cannot actively participate in the vote. If a candidate receives two-thirds of the votes from the electors, the election of the Pontiff is canonically valid.
The election of the new Pope
At that point, the last of the order of the Cardinal Deacons calls the master of the Liturgical Celebrations and the secretary of the College of Cardinals. The newly elected Pope will be asked: Acceptasne electionem de te canonice factam in Summum Pontificem? (Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?) and with an affirmative response, he adds: Quo nomine vis vocari? (By what name do you wish to be called?), to which he will respond with his papal name. After acceptance, the ballots are burned, ensuring that the classic white smoke can be seen from St. Peter’s Square. At the end of the Conclave, the new Pontiff retires to the “Room of Tears,” the sacristy of the Sistine Chapel, where he will wear the papal vestments for the first time – prepared in three sizes – with which he will appear before the crowd of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square by the white smoke.
After the prayer for the new Pontiff and the homage of the cardinals, the Te Deum is intoned, marking the end of the Conclave.
Are you tired of seeing the same old content on every blog you visit? Well, you’re in luck because this blog is anything but ordinary! We promise to keep you entertained with our unique and attractive content that will keep you coming back for more.
From informative articles to fun quizzes and interactive polls, we’ve got it all. And the best part? We’re not afraid to get a little creative with our HTML tags to make our content stand out from the rest.
So, if you’re looking for a blog that’s as unique as you are, look no further. Join us on this exciting journey and let’s explore the world of blogging together. Who knows what kind of hidden gems we’ll uncover along the way?
Source link
