Politics of Electing A Pope

[Warph]

Politics of Electing A Pope

New rules
Popes are elected by the College of Cardinals meeting in Conclave when the Apostolic See falls vacant.

Pope Paul VI significantly changed the rules for conclaves in 1975 when he promulgated the Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifico Eligendo. He excluded all cardinals 80 years old or over from the conclave and made provision to prevent any bugging of the Sistine Chapel.

It was according to these rules that Albano Luciano, Patriarch of Venice, was elected Pope John Paul I and that a little over a month later, Karol Wojtyla, Cardinal Archbishop of Krakow, was elected Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II himself promulgated a whole new set of rules in 1996 in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

He has not departed radically from the traditional structure. But he has made some significant changes:

If no cardinal has been elected by two-thirds majority after a certain number of ballots, the cardinals may agree by absolute majority (half + 1) to elect the Pope by an absolute majority instead of a two-thirds majority rather than stay in uncomfortable, makeshift quarters in the Papal Palace, the Cardinals will stay in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, hotel-style accommodation in Vatican City the only remaining method of electing the Pope is by scrutiny, ie, silent ballot -- the methods of election by acclamation and by committee have been excluded (but were rarely used) the older cardinals are still unable to enter the conclave, but they are invited to take an active role in the preparatory meetings the rules on secrecy are tougher

The maximum number of Cardinal Electors allowed at any one time is 120. The Pope cannot raise more than 120 men under 80 to the Cardinalate at any one time. (Of course, being Pope, he can also dispense himself with compliance with that rule! On the last two occasions, the Pope named new cardinals soon after the number of electors fell below 120. There were as high as 135 electors at some stages.) As at April 2005, there are 117 Cardinals eligible to vote in Conclave. (Only 115 of them entered the 2005 Conclave, as two of them were too ill to travel to Rome for the Conclave.)

The Pope dies
When the Pope dies, the Cardinal Camerlengo (currently Eduardo Cardinal Martinez Somalo) must verify the death, traditionally by calling the Pope three times by his name without response (although this is only a ritual &emdash; the death is verified by medical staff). He must then authorize a death certificate and make the event public by notifying the Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese of Rome (currently Camillo Cardinal Ruini). The Camerlengo then seals the Pope's private apartments. He would also arrange for the "ring of the fisherman" and the papal seal to be broken. He then makes preparations for the Papal funeral rites and the novemdieles, the nine days of mourning.

The Interregnum
During the interregnum, it is the Camerlengo who is responsible for the government of the Church. He must arrange the funeral and burial of the Pope. He directs the election of a new pope, assisted by three Cardinals, elected by the College of Cardinals, with three replacement Cardinals elected every three days.

All heads of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia are suspended from exercising their authority during the interregnum (and are expected to resign their posts immediately on the election of the new Pope). The only exceptions to this are the Cardinal Camerlengo, the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, the Major Penitentiary (James Cardinal Stafford), the Cardinal Archpriest of St Peter's Basilica and the Vicar-General for Vatican City (both offices are held by Francesco Cardinal Marchisano). These continue in their posts during the interregnum.

After 15-20 days of "General Congregations", sermons at their Titular Churches on what kind of Pope the Church needs, and mourning for the Pope after his funeral, the Cardinal Electors enter the Conclave to choose which of them will emerge as Holy Roman Pontiff.

The Conclave
The Cardinals must take an oath when they first enter the Conclave that they will follow the rules set down by the Pope and that they will maintain absolute secrecy about the voting and deliberations. The penalty for disclosing anything about the conclave that must be kept secret is automatic excommunication.

The Cardinals all take seats around the wall of the Sistine Chapel and take a ballot paper on which is written "Eligo in summum pontificem" -- "I elect as supreme Pontiff...". They then write a name on it, fold it, and then proceed one by one to approach the altar, where a chalice stands with a paten on it. They hold up their ballot high to show that they have voted, then place it on the paten, and then slide it into the chalice. The votes are then counted by the Cardinal Camerlengo and his three assistants. Each assistant reads the name, reads the name aloud, writes it down on a tally sheet and then passes it to the next assistant. The third assistant runs a needle and thread through the centre of each ballot to join them all together. The ballots are then burned, as well as all notes made. If a new Pope has been elected, the papers are burned with chemicals (it used to be wet straw) to give white smoke. Otherwise, they give off black smoke, so that the waiting crowds, and the world, know whether their new Holy Father will soon emerge from the Sistine Chapel. On 6 April 2005, it was announced that, in addition to the white smoke, the bells of St Peter's Basilica will be rung to signal the election of the new Pope. This will avoid any doubt about whether the smoke is white or black.

Until the conclaves of 1978, each Cardinal was provided a throne and a table and a canopy (or baldachino) over their heads. Paul VI abolished the practice because, with the internationalization of the College of Cardinals, there was simply no room any more. Whereas there were only 80 electors before then, the number had risen to 120. The thrones used to be arranged in two rows, along the wall facing each other. The canopies and thrones symbolized that, during the sede vacante when there is no Pope, the Cardinals all share responsibility for the governance of the Church. To further this symbolism, once the new Pope was elected and announced the name he would use, the other Cardinals would pull on a cord and the canopy would collapse, leaving just the new Pope with his canopy aloft.

To be elected Pope, one Cardinal must receive at least two-thirds of the votes.
Except that, under the new rules established by Pope John Paul II, if a certain number of ballots have taken place without any Cardinal being elected Pope, then the Cardinals may then elect by simple majority. This is an important change and may well be the most important change made. In the past, it has often been the case that a particular candidate has had solid majority support but cannot garner the required two-thirds majority, eg, because he is too conservative to satisfy the more moderate Cardinals. Therefore a compromise candidate is chosen, either an old Pope who will die soon and not do much until the next conclave (which is what was intended with John XXIII!) or someone not so hard-line wins support. The difference now will be that if, in the early ballots, one candidate has strong majority support, there is less incentive for that majority to compromise with the cardinals who are against their candidate and they simply need to sit out 30 ballots to elect their man. This may well see much more "hard-line" Popes being elected. There will also be far less incentive for the Cardinals to finish quickly as in the past. After such a long papacy, they may need time to arrive at a strong consensus on what type of papacy the Church now needs. They will also be staying in comfortable lodgings, rather than sleeping in foldaway cots in hallways and offices in the Sistine Chapel. On the other hand, the Cardinals will be reluctant for it to appear as if they are deeply divided, so there will still be an overriding desire to have a quick conclave. (No conclave in the last 200 years has lasted more than 5 days.)

The cardinals vote on the afternoon of the first day, then twice each morning and twice each afternoon. If they have not elected someone within the first three votes, then they may devote up to a day to prayer and discussion before resuming. They may do the same every seven unsuccessful votes after that.

The Cardinals are not permitted any contact with the outside world: no mobile phones, no newspapers or television, no messages or letters or signals to observers. There will be regular sweeps of all relevant areas for listening devices. The Cardinals will for the first time be able to move freely within Vatican City (eg, taking a walk in the Vatican Gardens, or walking from the Domus Sanctae Marthae to the Sistine Chapel). Workers in Vatican City continue to go about their business during the Conclave. If they run into a Cardinal, they are forbidden from speaking to him.

Habemus Papam!  ("We have a Pope!)
Once a Cardinal has received the required number of votes, the Dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts election and by what name he wishes to be called as Pope. On giving assent, the Cardinal immediately becomes Pontifex Maximus, the Holy Roman Pontiff. In the unlikely event that the Cardinal chosen is not yet a bishop, the most senior Cardinal present (the Dean or Sub-Dean usually) immediately performs the ceremony to consecrate the new Pope as a bishop.

The Cardinals then pledge their obedience to His Holiness in turn. The Pope vests in his Pontifical clericals (white soutane and skull cap) -- the Italian family business in Rome that makes all the Papal vestments has several different sizes prepared in readiness for His Holiness, no matter what his shape or size!

The Proto-Deacon of the College of Cardinals (currently Cardinal Medina Estevez) then steps onto the main balcony of the Vatican and declares to the World: "Habemus Papam!" "We have a Pope!" and tells the waiting world who has been chosen as the new pope and the name he has decided to take as Pope. His Holiness then appears on the Balcony and delivers his Apostolic Blessing to the city of Rome and to the World.

The Pope can ask the Cardinals to remain in Conclave one last evening. Both John Paul I and John Paul II did so, and spent their first evening as Pope with the Cardinals. A suite in the Domus Sanctae Marthae is kept free for the new Pope to stay in instead of returning to the room he occupied as a voting Cardinal during the Conclave.

Within a short time of his election, before the Cardinals return home, a formal ceremony of inauguration takes place at which the woollen pallium is bestowed upon him. The choir chants "Tu es Petrus" (Thou art Peter), the words Christ spoke to Peter when He told him he was the Rock on which Jesus would build His Church and asked him to feed His sheep.

One of the few things Pope John Paul I managed to do in his short papacy was to abolish the traditional Papal Coronation, which Pope John Paul II did not resurrect. Traditionally, the Pope would be carried around St Peter's Square on the Sedia Gestatoria (the Papal Throne) and have the Papal Tiara placed on his head. These last two popes have done away with the monarchic symbolism of the papacy (including the use of the Royal "we") in favour of a heightened concentration of their role as "Servus Servorum Dei" -- Servant of the servants of God. It remains to be seen whether a future Pope restores some form of papal coronation ceremony, even if it does not involve a full return to some of the earlier monarchic rituals.

[Warph]

Pope Francis In 2007: No Communion For Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians...

[T]he document, which the new Pope presented on behalf of his colleagues at the time and signed of on, referred to abortion and communion, said "we should commit ourselves to 'eucharistic coherence', that is, we should be conscious that people cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act or speak against the commandments, in particular when abortion, euthanasia, and other serious crimes against life and family are facilitated. This responsibility applies particularly to legislators, governors, and health professionals."

Archbishop Bergoglio said then that "the most mentioned word in the Aparecida Document is 'life', because the Church is very conscious of the fact that the cheapest thing in Latin America, the thing with the lowest price, is life."http://www.lifenews.com/2013/03/13/new-pope-francis-called-abortion-the-death-penalty-for-the-unborn/





And what is Obuma doing?  He's sending a pro-abortion Catholic politician representing the United States for his installation as Pope.  Give me a break... how stupid, Stupid, STUPID is this  : 

Obuma To Send Pro-Abortion Fanatic Joe Biden To Rome For Installation Of Pope Francis...

Vice President Biden will lead the U.S. delegation to the installation of Pope Francis, an administration official confirmed to The Washington Examiner.

The ceremony is expected to take place in Rome on Tuesday.  Biden is both the highest-ranking Catholic official in the United States and the first-ever Catholic vice president.

[Warph]

First Moments Of The Pope

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/national_world&id=9030149#&cmp=twi-kgo-article-9030149

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis offered intimate insights Saturday into the moments after his election, telling journalists that he was immediately inspired to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi because of his work for peace and the poor – and that he himself would like to see "a poor church and a church for the poor."

"Let me tell you a story," Francis said in a break from his prepared text during a special gathering for thousands of journalists, media workers and guests in the Vatican's auditorium.

Francis then described how he was comforted by his friend, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, as it appeared the voting was going his way and it seemed "a bit dangerous" that he would reach the two-thirds necessary to be elected.

When the threshold was reached, applause erupted in the frescoed Sistine Chapel.

"He (Hummes) hugged me. He kissed me. He said don't forget about the poor," Francis recalled. "And that's how in my heart came the name Francis of Assisi," who devoted his life to the poor, missionary outreach and caring for God's creation.

[Warph]

Pope Francis To Shun Apostolic Palace's Luxury Papal Residence In Favor Of Guesthouse

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/17/is-pope-francis-a-socialist-who-will-allow-liberation-theology-to-infiltrate-the-catholic-church/

Pope Francis' frugality has captivated headlines, as this pontiff has very openly shunned unneeded amenities both during his time as a cardinal and in his short tenure as head of the Catholic Church. His most recent decision — to decline the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace — is, once again, capturing headlines.

As the National Catholic Reporter notes, Francis is, instead, planning to live in a suite inside the Vatican guesthouse (also known as the Casa Santa Marta). This is the same location where he has been residing since the conclave.

The stunning announcement was made by Fr. Federico Lombardi, a spokesperson for the Vatican. It marks the first time in 110 years that a pontiff has decided not to live in the traditional residence.

Once again, Francis shows himself to be one who shuns or, at the least, avoids luxury accommodations. For the time being, he plans to steer clear of the Apostolic Palace for living purposes, but he is using the space to hold meetings and audiences, CNN reports.


Pope Francis is a 76-year old Argentinean who was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina making him the first Jesuit Pope in the history. Before reaching the highest ecclesiastical position, which he now holds, he has also served various religious offices since 1992 as an Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires until a unified voice has been confirmed of his election and appointment to the divine role that he has in the Roman Catholicism. Let's have a closer look at him, with these top 10 interesting facts about the new Pope in 2013.



10. Languages Spoken

He may have been raised an Argentinean, but he speaks fluently German and Italian languages aside from his native tongue, Spanish. He learned the German language while studying Theology in Germany. We don't know yet that with his appointment as Pope Francis, he could learn to speak the English language although he understands it.



9. He Is Very Independent

To those people who know him, they have attested that he does things on his own, like cooking his own food and even ride buses whenever he attends to his church obligations. Although he has authority to delegate tasks, but he chose to be independent, without relying from others, especially if he knows that he can easily perform it.



8. He Has One Lung

When he was a teenager, he had a serious lung infection that resulted to severe infection, which was the cause of the removal of one of his lungs. Yes, he has one functioning lung, but who would have thought that he would get this far, and he would be able to serve the Christian community across the globe.



7. First Argentinean Pope

Based on his profile, his parents were immigrants from Italy to Argentina. One would say that he could be claimed of having an Italian descent. Nonetheless, everyone must take note that Argentina became the channel of immigrants from Europe like Spain, Italy, Germany, and other countries. Aside from that he is the first Pope who did not come from European countries, he is the first Pope who chose to carry the name of Francis because he admired so much the late St. Francis of Assisi.



6. Front Runner in 2005 Conclave

Everyone believes that he could have been the betted and competent challenger of the former Pope Benedict XVI during the 2005 conclave. It was actually described as a horse race then between him and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, especially when the conclave diary was disclosed that he got 40 votes that would qualify him to be a runner-up that time. The process of conclave this year is way different in the conclaves done years ago, wherein accomplishments have been the primary element to be elected.



5. Humble in All His Ways

It's true that former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio came from a humble family, where his father worked in railway while his mother served as a diligent housewife. Nonetheless, despite of the educational accomplishments and career path that he took before becoming a priest in 1958, he still chooses to do things with simplicity. In fact, he is the only Pope in history, and even when he was still serving as a cardinal, who beg-off to use all the luxuries in life that he can enjoy as one of the highest authorities in Roman Catholic. He lives in a simple apartment and living like a commoner. In fact, even with special meetings with other cardinals, he would seat at the backseat signifying how meek and reserved he was.



4. Professor

Prior to his call as a bishop, he was teaching psychology, philosophy, theology, and literature, since he has a degree in Philosophy that he got from the Catholic University in Buenos Aires. Some of the schools where he taught were Colegio de la Immaculada, Colegio del Salvador, and highschool in Santa Fe, Argentina that all happened from 1964 until 1966. Right after his ordination to the priesthood in 1969, he started attending the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel where he earned his novice master. Later on, he served as a Professor of Theology.



3. His Ecclesiastical Path

His desire to serve the Lord did not start in him in an instant. His passion became apparent when he had made a decision as he turned 21 to be a priest. By 1958, he studied seminary at Villa Devoto to pursue his desire of becoming a priest. The coming years, he was studying with the same teaching subjects of his expertise in college and in high school. By December 13, 1969 he received his priesthood ordination after he finished theology. From 1973 to 1979 he acted as provincial superior in Argentina and a rector in 1980 until 1986. In 1992 he became Auxilliary Bishop of Buenos Aires and mid that year as Titular Bishop of Auca. In 1998, he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. During the time of Pope John Paul II in 2001, he assumed the Cardinal position, where he held 5 administrative positions. When the late Pope John Paul II died, he was considered for the 2005 papal conclave, although he was not appointed; the ball turned to him this year, and was appointed Pope Francis.



2. Educational Attainment

Little does everyone know, especially those who have not expected that he would become the current Pope of this generation; he has also completed a chemical technician course from a technical high school. He also finished Philosophy at Colegio   Maximo San Jose in 1960, and Theology in 1967 despite of the humble circumstances that his family had at his early age. It's his same focus in all of his advocacies, where he fights poverty, and promotes opportunity for better education.



1. Family Background

He is one of the 5 children of Mario Jose Bergoglio and Regina Maria Sivori, who migrated to Argentina from Italy. He has not disclosed so much information about his family roots, although he has shared some pictures of his family, his parents, and especially the wedding picture of them. Definitely, his being discreet or being a private person made him unknown or even popular to the top 10 Future Popes racing for the Papal seat in 2013. In fact, none has expected because he was not even cited or mentioned in any list or surveys conducted online and offline.