Cardinals discussed Church matters before holding a conclave to
elect a Pope
Cardinals will gather Tuesday for a ceremony steeped in tradition as
they vote to elect a new Pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
The so-called Princes of the Church will assemble in the Vatican's
beautifully ornate Sistine Chapel to decide on a new Pontiff.
It follows ex Pope Benedict XVI stepping down last month following
eight years in office, reports Sky News.
In all 115 cardinal electors, those below the age of 80, are involved
in the process.
The first the world will know a new Pope has been chosen is when white
smoke appears from a chimney on the chapel's roof.
But before that process begins, there were several key events that were
due to take place.
The first took place on Monday when 90 people ranging from cleaning
staff, drivers, priests and Swiss Guards swore an oath of secrecy.
They will be on hand as the Cardinals gather and are not allowed to
breathe a word of what they say or hear - and if they do they are
excommunicated from the Roman Catholic faith.
Whilst the conclave is taking place the Cardinals will be staying in a
special residence inside the Vatican called the Domus Marthae and they
will remain there until a Pope has been chosen and all staff there are
sworn to secrecy.
This morning the day will begin with a Latin Mass in St Peter's for the
Cardinals and public and which is traditionally held before a conclave
starts and is known as "pro eligendo Romano Pontifice".
It will be led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals Angelo Sodano
who will also give a sermon in Italian which is expected to outline the
spiritual significance of the task that faces them to elect the 266th
Pope.
After lunch they will then leave in a solemn procession from the
Pauline Chapel in the Vatican to the Sistine Chapel.
As they go they will be accompanied by Latin prayers and songs, as they
ask the Holy Spirit for help in choosing the right man for the job.
Once inside the Sistine Chapel they will swear an oath, with their hand
on a Gospel.
Next, all those Cardinals who are not electors and other accompanying
priests will be ordered to leave by the Master of Ceremonies Monsignor
Guido Marini.
He will say in Latin "extra omnes", which means "everybody out" and
then the last pictures the world will see are the doors of the Sistine
Chapel closing as the Cardinals begin their deliberations.
The word conclave comes from the Latin "con clavum" or "with key" as
Cardinals in the past were kept locked in a room until they came up with
a new Pope.
As part of the selection process a jamming device has been installed in
the chapel as the Cardinals are not allowed to have any contact with
the outside world.
It is feared that any contact could influence their vote and if they do
break the vow of secrecy they also face excommunication.
The secret ballot will involve the Cardinals writing the name of their
preferred candidate on a slip of paper - trying to disguise their
handwriting if possible - which they will then place on a tray with the
ballot then sliding into an urn.
Once all the votes are counted by the scrutineers they are pierced with
a needle through the Latin word 'Eligendo' (I elect) and a thread is
fed through them - the key figure to look for is 77 votes, two thirds of
the 115 elector cardinals plus one.
If no clear winner emerges then the voting papers are put into a
74-year-old stove which has been specially installed in the Sistine
Chapel and burnt - chemicals are added to produce white smoke, to show a
winner has emerged and black if still no decision.
There will be one vote on Tuesday with smoke expected around 7pm (GMT)
although Vatican officials have already said they do not expect a
verdict straight away.
After final prayers and vespers the Cardinals will then leave the
Sistine Chapel and head back to their sealed overnight accommodation for
dinner.
There will be two rounds of voting on Wednesday morning and two in the
afternoon with smoke expected at around 11am and 6pm - with the eyes of
the world watching the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel.
Spotlights will be trained on the chimney in case darkness has fallen
and to ensure everyone knows a new Pope has been elected the bells of St
Peter's will also ring out and his first appearance will be on the
balcony where he will give a blessing.
Favourites so far include Italian Cardinal Angelo Sodano and Brazilian
Odilo Pedro Scherer but no real strong candidate has emerged with
Vatican watchers saying this may lead to a longer conclave than usual
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