The cardinals continue their intense discussions within the general congregations, the pre-conclave in which they are seeking unity before entering the Sistine Chapel on May 7. While Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Jerusalem emphasizes the “good atmosphere” in which the work is progressing in the Vatican, Cardinal Fernando Filoni assures that by Wednesday the college will be able to express unity, even on the name of the new Pope: “We will make it, as we have always done.”
Even the non-electoral cardinal, Gregorio Rosa Chavez, assures that the cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel “with clear ideas.” Meanwhile, today the spokesperson Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office with Pope Francis and now the official point of reference for the conclave, firmly denied the news spread yesterday by some traditionalist American sites, but also by some Italians, that Cardinal Pietro Parolin had suffered a health problem.
“No, it’s not true,” he replied to those asking for confirmation or denial of the social media buzz. When asked if doctors or nurses had intervened, spokesperson Bruni reiterated: “no.” Despite the Vatican dismissing the episode as fake news, French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin told Paris Match news of the health problem and criticized Parolin: “I don’t think he has the stature expected,” said the cardinal. In France, Barbarin faced a long trial for covering up sexual abuse, convicted in the first instance and then acquitted on appeal. The discussions among the cardinals continue, and today twenty-five of them took the floor.
Topics discussed include the “counter-witness” that sometimes comes from Church men with sexual abuse or financial scandals. Then, like pieces of a mosaic, they are trying to outline the Church of the future, from unity to involving young people, from missionary work to liturgy. In the background remains the message of Pope Francis: in an unpublished interview published by Vatican media, the Pontiff in 2021 emphasized that “the Church is not the one with money in the banks.” The mystery remains of the four cardinal electors who have not yet arrived in Rome. At the moment, there are still 133 who will enter the Sistine Chapel because the only announced absences are those of the two cardinals who have health problems: Spaniard Antonio Canizares Llovera and John Njue of Kenya. There is a mystery surrounding the age of the latter, as well as for the cardinal from Burkina Faso, Philippe Ouedraogo.
Their birth dates have recently been corrected in the pontifical yearbook. In practice, they have been ‘rejuvenated’ and therefore qualify as electors, because according to the birth dates they had previously communicated, they would now be over eighty and therefore non-electors. However, Njue will not attend due to illness. Ouedraogo, on the other hand, retains the right to enter the Sistine Chapel. “Not all countries have the same quality of registry offices,” explained press office director Bruni, and the initial declarations about the birth dates “have been corrected with valid documentation.” The briefing also highlighted the issue of the presence at the congregations of Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, who had been sanctioned by Pope Francis for alleged pedophilia.
“It’s a problem the cardinals are well aware of -” recalls Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez – “but he is not an elector, so he will be excluded from the conclave.” This afternoon, there was another Novendial Mass, offered in suffrage for Pope Francis. Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti presided over it. “We often feel like masters of God, perfect knowers of the truth, when we are only pilgrims,” he emphasized in his homily.
Mounting the Chimney, All Eyes Will Be on It (by Manuela Tulli)
The Vatican firefighters climbed onto the roof of the Sistine Chapel this morning to mount the chimney for the smoke signals. Starting from Wednesday, May 7, all eyes will be on it from around the world because that chimney, with its smoke color, black or white, will communicate whether and when the cardinals have chosen the new Pope.
Meanwhile, work is in full swing in the Sistine Chapel, which in these days will be under observation not for the marvelous ceiling painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti but for what will happen from May 7 at 4:30 pm, the moment when they will close the doors of the Sistine Chapel with ‘extra omnes,’ everyone out. In these hours, tourists continue to visit the Vatican Museums but not the Sistine Chapel, which has been closed to the public since Sunday. The staff are setting up the spaces, audio, and arranging the floor.
Today marks another iconic moment: the installation of the chimney. It will be connected to two stoves, one cast iron and one more modern. The first one dates back to ’39 and will be used to burn the scrutiny sheets; the second one, more recent from 2005, will be used to burn the smoke pellets that should produce black smoke in case of no election and white smoke when the successor to Pope Francis is chosen. The history of the smoke signals is full of anecdotes because in the past, the color was not always clear, at least at the beginning of the signaling.
Thus, it was decided, since the election of Ratzinger in 2005, to accompany the white smoke with the widespread sound of bells. This way, the message that will come from the Sistine Chapel, that there is a new Pope, will be unmistakable. The Sistine Chapel’s chimney, as always, will have a camera from the Vatican media focused a few meters away and should also be equipped with lights to make any evening smoke signal visible. The voting will start on the evening of May 7 (but the cardinals will decide on the spot with a vote). Then, starting from May 8, there will be four votes, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The smoke signal will only be given at the end of the session, twice a day. To color the black smoke, potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulfur are used; for the anticipated white smoke, potassium chlorate, lactose, and rosin are used.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA
