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A alteration successful popes — done death oregon resignation — is simply a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the modulation successful enactment for some the spiritual caput of the planetary Catholic Church and the Vatican’s caput of state.
These are the need-to-know presumption — immoderate of them successful Latin — to assistance marque consciousness of quality successful the coming days:
Who is the Vatican camerlengo?
This is the “chamberlain” — the cardinal successful complaint of formally verifying the pope’s decease — and past sealing his country and study. Between past and the predetermination of the caller pope, the camerlengo administers the “goods and temporal rights” of the Holy See. The existent 1 is the Irish-born American Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
Who is successful the College of Cardinals?
There are 252 cardinals worldwide, and arsenic a body, they are successful complaint of the Holy See’s affairs in-between popes, albeit with limits. Of them, 135 are “cardinal electors,” who stitchery successful the Vatican to take the caller pope. For centuries, they person chosen 1 of their own. The immense bulk of the electors — 108 — were made cardinals by Pope Francis, according to Vatican statistics.
What is the conclave?
This is the closed-door meeting of the cardinal electors to take the caller pope successful the Sistine Chapel. Its name, virtually "with a key,” was utilized successful the 13th period to picture the process of locking up the cardinals until the predetermination is completed. It indispensable statesman nary much than 20 days aft the decease oregon resignation of a pope. The electors are sequestered from each outsiders for the duration; the past 3 popes were chosen wrong days.
Who is the dean of the College of Cardinals?
The existent dean is Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. He is the caput of the College of Cardinals who informs the remainder of the cardinals and the ambassadors to the Holy See of the pope’s decease erstwhile helium learns of it from the camerlengo. He convenes the conclave and presides arsenic the electors instrumentality their oaths. Once a caller pope is chosen, the dean asks him if helium accepts and what sanction helium wants to beryllium called.
What is the Domus Santa Marta?
This Vatican guesthouse, built successful 1996, specifically houses cardinals during a conclave and is utilized astatine different times arsenic a edifice for visiting priests and Vatican officials. Pope Francis ne'er moved out aft helium was elected pope, choosing to unrecorded successful suite 201, alternatively than the papal apartments successful the Apostolic Palace.
What does ‘extra omnes’ mean?
A Latin operation for “all out,” it's spoken by the maestro for papal liturgical celebrations, presently Italian Archbishop Diego Ravelli, to inquire each those contiguous but the cardinal electors to permission the Sistine Chapel to statesman the voting process during the conclave.
Why is the pope’s ringing called the fisherman’s ring?
Each pope gets this ringing astatine the Mass marking the opening of his pontificate. It bears this sanction due to the fact that Jesus told St. Peter, the archetypal pope, that helium would beryllium “a fisher of men.” Until the 1990s, it was destroyed upon a pope’s death. Now, it’s “annulled,” oregon marked successful specified a mode that it can’t beryllium utilized arsenic a seal.
What are the General Congregations?
This is the sanction fixed to the gathering of each members of the College of Cardinals aft the pope’s decease and earlier the commencement of the conclave to sermon large religion affairs. All cardinals who aren't infirm instrumentality portion successful this gathering successful the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. They besides sermon preparations for the conclave, nether oath and successful secret.
What does it mean erstwhile they say, ‘Habemus Papam’?
This Latin operation translates to “We person a pope.” These are the words utilized by the “protodeacon” of the College of Cardinals to denote from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica that a caller pope has been elected. He past says the caller pope's commencement sanction and the sanction helium has chosen to usage arsenic pope, besides successful Latin. The existent protodeacon is French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti.
Who are the infirmarii?
These are the 3 cardinals, chosen by a random drafting from the electors, who are charged with gathering the ballots of immoderate electors who are sick during the conclave.
What does Pope Francis’ motto ‘miserando atque eligendo’ mean?
This is Latin for “having had mercy and choosing him” — a operation that Francis chose arsenic his motto erstwhile helium was elevated to bishop and kept arsenic his papal seal. It was drawn from the homilies of St. Bede the Venerable, an 8th period monk. It comes from the Gospel communicative of St. Matthew, a taxation collector whom Jesus called to travel him.
Who are the revisers?
These are the 3 cardinals, chosen by random drafting from the electors, who are charged with reviewing the ballots during the conclave.
What is simply a rogito?
This is the document, oregon “deed,” listing cardinal details of the pope’s beingness and papacy that is placed successful his coffin. It’s written successful Latin by the maestro for papal liturgical celebrations. A transcript is kept successful the Vatican archives.
Who are the scrutineers?
These are the 3 cardinals, chosen by random drafting from the electors, who are charged with reviewing each ballot and announcing it to the assembled conclave aft each circular of voting. They then tally the votes — to triumph the election, two-thirds of the votes are indispensable — and they besides pain the ballots.
What does the saying ‘sede vacante’ mean?
This is Latin for “vacant seat,” the play betwixt the pope’s decease oregon resignation and the predetermination of a caller one.
What is St. Mary Major?
This is the basilica successful Rome wherever Pope Francis said helium wants to beryllium buried. Francis is breaking with the contented of his predecessors who are buried wrong the Vatican, saying helium wanted to beryllium adjacent his favourite icon of the Virgin Mary, the Salus Populi Romani, a Byzantine-style coating of the Madonna draped successful a bluish robe, holding the babe Jesus who successful crook is holding a jeweled aureate book. The icon is located successful the religion archetypal built successful the 5th period and devoted to the Virgin Mary. In his will, Francis said helium wanted a elemental underground tomb with lone “Franciscus” written connected it.
What does the substance ‘Universi Dominici Gregis’ contain?
This Latin operation means “the Lord’s full flock.” It’s the Vatican constitution that regulates the processes from a pope’s decease until a caller 1 is elected. St. John Paul II issued it successful 1996 during his papacy, and Pope Benedict XVI doubly amended it, astir importantly by removing John Paul's proviso that aft astir 12 days of balloting a elemental bulk could elite a caller pope alternatively than a two-thirds majority. If the conclave lasts that long, the apical 2 vote-getters spell to a runoff, with a two-thirds bulk required to win. Neither of the apical 2 candidates casts a ballot successful the runoff.
What does achromatic oregon achromatic fume mean during a papal transition?
After each circular of voting successful the Sistine Chapel, the ballots are burned successful a peculiar furnace to bespeak the result to the extracurricular world. If nary pope is chosen, the ballots are mixed with cartridges containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a constituent of ember tar), and sulfur to nutrient achromatic smoke. But if determination is simply a winner, the burning ballots are mixed with potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin to nutrient the achromatic smoke. Bells besides are rung to further awesome determination is simply a caller pope.
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