Commotion at the Vatican

This past week has been an interesting on for the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI has decided to resign for "advance age" reasons. He is the first Pope since the 1400's to resign, only two other before him to have done so. Some people are in an uproar because the Pope is breaking tradition and think he is trying to change the church, whereas others are ok with this "divine decision."

Last Sunday the Pope attended his last Sunday Mass, and today he is delivering his last Angelus Prayer at St. Peters Square. It is a historic time here in Italy. Marito's dad flew into town last weekend and we made the trip to the Vatican on Thursday. The Square was being set up for the mass of people expected today and the rest of this week. Pope Benedict XVI is resigning on Thursday Feb. 28th, and this Wednesday will be his last day at the Vatican as the Pope.

I don't know much at all about Conclave and the process of electing a new Pope. In fact all of my information comes from the book and movie Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Not the most reliable source. So I scoured the Internet and threw together information that I have found to pass on to you, to help you understand the up coming process.

So, what is next?

The College of Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel, and will bunker down until a decision is made on who the new pope is. The 116, eligible for election, Cardinals will pray for guidance on who should be elected as the Successor of St. Peter and will not leave until a 2/3 decision has been reached. No one is to enter or leave Conclave (Latin for "with keys") as to prevent any outside influence on voting.

When does Conclave start?

Typically, Conclave occurs between 15-20 days after the death of a Pope. With Pope Benedict XVI resigning there is talk about Conclave occurring sooner than later, with hopes of having a new Pope by Easter.

Why 15-20 after the death?

This timing is to allow the eligible electors to reach Rome for the funeral and gather in the Sistine Chapel for the secret voting.

Pope Benedict XVI is resigning on Feb 28th, so will this speed up the process?

The Pope can amend the law and with the pressure to have a new elect by Easter it is quite possible that Conclave will start early. All of the Cardinals will attend a farewell meeting, planned by Benedict, and since they will already be in attendance, why would Conclave need to wait 15 days? There is pressure to have a new Pope by Palm Sunday, March 24th, but during the time of Lent traditionally it is frowned upon to celebrate, including the installation of a new Pope. The exception is on March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph, but Conclave will need to have been started and a new Pope picked in time.

What are the rules or qualifications of electing the next Pope?

The maximum numbers of electors is 120 Cardinals, 4 ballots are casted a day- twice in the morning and twice in the evening. The Pope may not be over the age of 80 when the Papalcy is vacated, and must be elected by a two-thirds plus one vote. If 12 or 13 days pass and a successor hasn't been elected a simple majority vote is placed.

So what happens behind the locked doors?

Each rectangular ballot is inscribed at the top with the words Eligo in Summum Pontificem, meaning "I elect as supreme pontiff." Below these words, each cardinal writes down the name of the person he chooses as the pope. The vote is done in secret with paper and pen. The voting cardinal then folds the ballot twice, holds it in the air, and carries it the chapel's altar. He then says, "I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected." The cardinal places the ballot on a plate that sits atop the ballot receptacle and uses the plate to drop the ballot into the receptacle. After bowing before the altar, he returns to his seat.

Three Scrutineers, who are selected by all of the cardinals, are charged with counting the ballots. Once the ballots are collected, the Scrutineers count the ballots to determine if everyone has voted. If the number of ballots doesn't match the number of electors, the ballots are immediately burned and another vote is taken.
Here are the steps for the vote-tallying procedure:

1. The first Scrutineer takes a ballot, notes the name on it, and passes it to the next Scrutineer.
2. The second Scrutineer notes the name and passes it to the third Scrutineer.
3. The third Scrutineer reads aloud the name on the ballot, pierces the ballot with a needle through the word Eligo at the top of the ballot, and slides the ballot onto a string of thread.
4. Each elector notes the name that is read.
5. Once all ballots are read, the Scrutineers write down the official count on a separate sheet of paper.
6. The third Scrutineer ties the ends of the thread on which the ballots are placed in a knot to preserve the vote.
7. The ballots are placed in a receptacle.

After each vote, the ballots and any notes regarding them are burned. Smoke from the burning of the ballots appears over the Vatican Palace. If no pope has been chosen, a chemical is applied to the ballots in order to create black smoke when burned. White smoke signals that a pope has been elected.

As close as I am to the Vatican, I would love to make a trip to Rome to partake in this historic event, but I will probably stay home and watch BBC or CNN live coverage. I can still say to my kids one day, "Hey! I was in Italy when this happened!"

If you don't mind the crowds and congestion, I urge you to make the pilgrimage to the Vatican and witness this historic religious event for yourself.