During the conclave, the cardinals voters They meet behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel to choose the successor of Pope Francis.
This will develop the election, governed by the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, promulgated by John Paul II in 1996.
The 133 voters, under 80 years of age, They moved on Wednesday to the residence of Santa Marta and other dependencies in the Vatican, where they will be housed throughout the conclave.
On the morning of the first day, The sloping participated in a solemn mass in the Basilica of San Pedro.
Dressed in choral habit, they gathered in the Paulina chapel of the Apostolic Palace And, in procession towards the Sistine Chapel, they invoked the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
Before the fresco of the final judgment painted by Miguel Ángel, the cardinals They lend an oath with their hand on the Gospel.
According to a ritual inherited from the Middle Ages, the master of ceremonies must pronounce the phrase “extra omnes” (all outside). People who do not participate in the election leave the room and then close the doors. The objective is for cardinals to avoid external influences.
The choice
By raffle, three cardinals are designated “scrutineers”, three other “infermarii” as in charge of collecting the vote of the sick wandering and three more as reviewers to check the count.
Sitting together, the cardinals receive rectangular ballots With registration Eligo in Summum Pontificem (“I choose as high pontiff”) In the upper part, with a blank space below.
Voters write the name of their hand candidate and bend the ballot. In theory, it is forbidden to vote for oneself.
Each cardinal is directed by shifts to the altar, holding your ballot in the air to be very visible And he pronounces the following oath in Latin: “I witness Christ Lord, who will judge me, that I give my vote to whom, in the presence of God, I think it must be chosen.”
He deposits his ballot on a plate and slides it in the urn in front of the scrutineers, He leans before the altar and returns to his place.
Cardinals who, due to their health status, cannot approach the altar, They give their vote to a scrutador, who deposits him at the ballot box in his place.
The scrutiny
Once all the ballots are collected, A scrutinizer agitates the urn to mix them, It transfers them to a second container and then another account.
Two scrutineers write down the names, while a third reads them aloud and pierces ballots With a needle at the point where the word is Eligo. The reviewers then verify that no mistakes were made.
If no cardinal obtained two thirds of votes, the voters proceed to a new vote. Except the first day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon until the proclamation of a Pope.
Ballots and notes taken by the cardinals They burn in a stove every two rounds. The fireplace, visible by the faithful from the Plaza de San Pedro, expels black smoke if it was not possible to choose any pope and a white smoking in case of an election.
After three days of voting without achieving the appointment of a pontiff, The process is suspended for a day of prayer and the next day is resumed.
“Habemus Papam”
The chosen one must answer two questions from the Dean: “Do you accept your canonical choice for Supreme Pontiff?” And “what do you want to be called?” If you respond yes to the first, it becomes Pope and Bishop of Rome.
One by one, the cardinals They express a gesture of respect and obedience to the new Popebefore the announcement to the faithful.
From the balcony of the Basilica of San Pedro, Cardinal Protodiácono announces “Habemus Papam”.
Next, The new pontiff appears and imparts his blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world).
Some curiosities
- Cardinal’s name for whom he votes as Pedro’s successor It must be written “with calligraphy as unrecognizable as possible”, so that there are no indications of who was the person who wrote on the ballot.
- The name of the cardinal for whom it is voted must be written in Latin.
- After the vote, the chosen one must lock himself in the “chapel of tears”, where he can freely vent from the emotions he has contained.
- Who can be potatoes? “In theory, any baptized and not married male can be chosen, although since the fourteenth century all potatoes have been cardinals,” he says ACI PRESS.
- The requirements to be potato are “being over 35 years old and being presbyters for at least five, being a degree in theology and canon law in an ecclesiastical faculty and having a good reputation,” according to the medium.
- Cardinals usually dress with new costumes during conclaves; However, the centers for making this election reported that the Vatican did not request costumes because those that were already available would be used. This would correspond to the ideals of austerity that Francisco proclaimed within the Church.
- Isolated and incommunicado, the sloping ones have the right to have a “survival kit”, which may include rosaries, religious books among other belongings that can be useful in case of emergency.