Most headlines in my news feed don’t involve the death of Pope Francis, or what’s happening in Vatican City, now that we’re in the process of mourning one pope and selecting another.
That’s fine by me, since a number of headlines I did notice a number that were (over-) dramatic. Others, apparently linking to op-eds, struck me as reflecting a — limited — view of the Catholic Church. I’ll leave it at that.
A few, from yesterday evening and this morning (Thursday, April 24, 2025), involved how cardinals — specifically, the College of Cardinals — are selecting our new pope.
As I said the other day, we’ve been doing this for two millennia now. The basics haven’t changed: but we’re emphatically not hanging on to every procedural detail.
Pope Paul VI, for example, tweaked the rules in 1975; and Pope Saint John Paul II got the ball rolling for changes that went into effect in 1996.
Vatican News posted a pretty good overview of what’s happening, and what will be happening, yesterday:
“What happens after the Pope dies?”
“The death of a Pope marks the beginning of a series of events that lead to the eventual start of a conclave and election of a new Successor of St. Peter. We lay out in detail the events that lead to the election of a new Pope.”
Lisa Zengarini, Vatican News (April 22, 2o25)“…Who ‘manages’ the Vacant See?
“According its provisions, during the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the governance of the Church is entrusted to the College of Cardinals. However, their authority is limited to handling only ordinary or urgent matters and preparing for the election of the new Pope.
“The College of Cardinals also assumes all the civil powers of the Supreme Pontiff regarding the Government of Vatican City.
“However, they do not have jurisdiction over matters that were exclusively the Pope’s prerogative during his lifetime….
“…Measures to ensure confidentiality and prevent external interference
“All election procedures take place exclusively in the Sistine Chapel within the Vatican Apostolic Palace, which remains completely sealed off until the election is concluded.
“The Apostolic Constitution of Pope St. John Paul II emphasizes the need to ensure complete secrecy regarding everything happening during the Conclave and anything directly or indirectly related to the election of the Pope. The document details all the precautions to guarantee confidentiality and prevent external interference (paragraphs 51-61)….”
It’s far from sensational reading. But then, selecting our next pope — although immensely important — isn’t particularly sensational.
Whoever becomes our next pope will be the 266267th successor to St. Peter. We’ve — again — been doing this for two millennia.
About Pope Francis; I liked his style, I really liked his opting for the comparatively-simple amenities of the Casa Santa Marta / Saint Martha’s House, and his focus on folks living well below the top ten percent.
I’ve got my preferences for what sort of pope we get next. Being me, I’d like to see someone who’s more of a scholar and theologian. But those are my preferences.
Whoever we get as our next pope, I figure he’ll be Catholic. And I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Two other short posts:
- “Pope Francis: Ceremony in Saint Martha’s House Chapel”
(April 23, 2025) - “Easter Monday: Pope Francis Has Died”
(April 21, 2025)
Reading that stuff about the privacy of the Papal election, I suppose all those stuff about “Leading Papal Candidates” that even top news outlets show are likely speculation based on public opinion, no? I mean, as impressive as it is to see Cardinals from my country being included in that stuff, I’m glad that there’s that privacy.
Well-said. This is a case where I think concerns about “privacy” make sense.
About news outlets, top and otherwise, and “Leading Papal Candidates”: I think a key word there is “speculation”.
Journalists – or the assorted experts, bigwigs, and celebrities they consult – may have access to information that’s not accessible to folks like me. And folks who spend significant time and resources, studying Cardinals who will be voting will have a more informed opinion than I do.
But again: it’s speculation. I suspect that at least some speculation, even when done analytically and rationally, is colored by the assumptions of the experts. And that’s another topic.
Finally – yes, indeed. It’s nice to see folks from one’s homeland doing their jobs as part of the Church – among those who serve more directly with the pope.