Everything is ready for the conclave: how many votes does the new pope need and at what time will the fumatas be released?
The meeting of the cardinals to elect Francis' successor will begin this Wednesday afternoon.
BarcelonaThe transition period after the death of Pope Francis This week ends with the celebration of the conclave, the ritual for electing the new pope. The name comes from Latin cum key (under key) and evokes the secrecy surrounding the ceremony, which is held in the Sistine Chapel, beneath Michelangelo's frescoes.
The conclave will begin this Wednesday afternoon, but the rites have already begun. On Monday, all those associated with the organization swore in writing to maintain absolute secrecy forever regarding everything that occurs during the meeting, under threat of excommunication. This measure affects both church and lay personnel, such as doctors, nurses, elevator operators, and those in charge of the dining room and cleaning.
Who participates in the conclave?
The College of Cardinals, the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church, is made up of 252 men. However, only those under eighty years of age have the right to vote in the election of the new pontiff. There are 135 in this conclave, but two—the Spaniard Antonio Cañizares and the Kenyan John Njue—have not traveled to Rome for health reasons. All the rest are already in the Vatican. One of the last to arrive was the Cardinal Archbishop of Jakarta (Indonesia), Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, after an eighteen-hour flight.
Where are the cardinal electors from?
The geographic distribution of the cardinals shows a more international Church, with representation from countries that until now had none, such as Mongolia, Lesotho, Albania, East Timor, Tonga, Iran, and Algeria. Although European cardinals remain the majority, there has been a slight decrease compared to the previous conclave, while the representation of African, Asian, and Latin American countries has increased slightly.
Where do cardinals stay?
The cardinals are staying at the Casa Santa Marta, where Francis lived during his pontificate, and an adjacent building. The drawing for rooms was held on Saturday, and they have been able to sleep there since Sunday.
When and how does the conclave begin?
Tradition dictates that all the cardinal electors will gather at the Casa Santa Marta the evening before the conclave begins to dine together. From that moment on, they will remain isolated from the world and completely incommunicado.
On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., all the cardinal electors will walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel. Once inside, they will take the oath of absolute secrecy. When all have done so, the master of liturgical celebrations, Diego Ravelli, will proclaim theextra omnes (everyone out) and the doors will close.
How many votes are needed?
A two-thirds majority is required to elect the new pope. Considering that in the conclave There will be 133 cardinals with voting rightsAt least 89 voters must vote for the same candidate. Until this number is reached, the votes will be repeated. The ballots on which the cardinals write the name of their preferred candidate will be burned in a stove. The color of the smoke emerging from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel will indicate the result of the vote: if it's black, there isn't enough consensus; if it's white, a new pontiff has been elected. To avoid confusion, the papers are burned with a chemical additive to change the color of the smoke.
What time will there be fumatas?
On the first day, there will only be one vote, on Wednesday afternoon, and therefore there will be only one fumata. The first day serves to give the cardinals an initial picture of preferences and alliances, and since it is very difficult for an agreement to be reached in the first round, it is expected to be a losing vote. Starting Thursday, the cardinals will vote up to four times a day, twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. However, the ballots and notes taken by the cardinals will be burned every two rounds. Therefore, there will only be two fumata: one at noon and another in the evening, around 7 p.m., unless otherwise agreed.
How long will the conclave last?
It doesn't have a set duration, but will depend on how long it takes the cardinals to reach an agreement. If there's no agreement by Saturday, there will be a one-day break, and voting will resume on Monday. In the last century, the longest conclave lasted five days, in 1922, but both Francis and Benedict XVI were elected in less than 48 hours: the Argentine pope was elected on the fifth ballot and the German on the fourth. His predecessor, John Paul II, was elected in 1978 on the eighth round of voting.
What happens when there is an agreement?
When a cardinal receives the support of at least two-thirds of the votes, he will have to accept this new responsibility and choose his papal name. Habemus papam (We have a Pope) and then the new pontiff will appear and give his blessing. urbi et orbi (in the city and in the world).