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 Election of the Last 3 Popes on Vatican City stamps: Pope John Paul II (1978)—Scott 1236a (2003) Pope Benedict XVI (2005)—Scott 1478j (2011) Pope Francis (2013)—Scott 1525 (2013) This morning, the Conclave to choose the 268th pope and immediate successor to Pope Francis will begin in the Sistine Chapel. At this time, 133 Cardinal Electors have arrived for the Conclave. Two eligible Electors are not expected to attend due to health concerns. The College of Cardinals will first celebrate the Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” (“For the Election of the Roman Pontiff”) in Saint Peter’s Basilica, and then will move in procession to the Sistine Chapel. Upon arriving at the chapel, they will enter and take their oath of secrecy and to abide by the rules of the Conclave. They will subsequently be sequestered: shut off in private to contemplate upon and vote for the next pope. Each evening, the cardinals will move in private from the chapel to their temporary quarters at Casa Santa Marta, the apartment building on the grounds of the Vatican where Pope Francis lived during his pontificate. A series of events have occurred over the last two weeks, bringing us to this day: 1. The Death of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21 2. Pronouncement of Death by the Cardinal Camerlingo, Francis Cardinal Farrell 3. The translation of the body of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta to Saint Peter’s Basilica 4. Three days of public viewing, when an estimated 250,000 mourners passed the open coffin of the pope 5. The funeral of Pope Francis in Saint Peter’s Square, followed by the transport of his coffin and earthly remains to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore for burial 6. Starting on the day of his funeral, the nine-day period of “Novemdiales” took place, with daily Masses of Suffrage in memory of the pope. In the background, since the death of the pope, the members of the College of Cardinals have been arriving in Rome. Each day, those cardinals have gathered in General Congregation meetings to discuss and plan for the Conclave. The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will oversee the Conclave. From a planning perspective, the Sistine Chapel has been prepared for the Conclave. The Chapel has been closed to the general public as structural and security measures have been completed. Desks for the cardinals attending the Conclave have been erected, and a temporary floor has been installed in the Chapel. Under the floor, jamming devices have been installed to prevent electronic eavesdropping into the proceedings of the Conclave. Finally, the stove and chimney that will be used to announce the results of each round of voting have been installed, the stovepipe now extending above the roof of the Sistine Chapel. How long is the Conclave expected to take? A look back at the history of the Conclave shows that the shortest Conclave lasted a reported 10 hours, with Pope Julius II being elected on the first ballot in 1503. The longest? The Conclave that elected Pope Gregory X lasted almost three years (from November 1268 to September 1271). Recent Conclaves, on average, have lasted three days, with the last five Conclaves lasting two or three days. The 2013 Conclave that elected Pope Francis lasted two days, with the new pope being elected on the fifth ballot. A short YouTube video may be accessed in the References showing the preparation work that has been done at the Sistine Chapel for the Conclave. Now the world waits for the signaling of the election of the new pope. With a puff of white smoke from the chimney, and the announcement and introduction of the new pope (“Habeum Papem”, meaning "We have a Pope"), a new era for the Church will begin. REFERENCES: |
