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Pope Francis’ death encountered a stream of sorrow from the deceased Catholics of their spiritual leaders who brought humility and inclusion to the church.
However, once the mourning is over, attention is directed towards a secret Vatican gathering where the Cardinal chooses Francis’ successor.
The Pope is often described as a monarchy without dynasties, but the Cardinals choose the so-called prince of the church – and who gives spiritual guidance to the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world.
How does a conclave work?
The Cardinals are quarantined in the Vatican for several secret votes, which are prohibited from contacting the world either verbally or in writing until a decision is made.
Voting will take place at the Sistine Chapel. This, according to the Archdiocese of Toronto, wiped out bugs in advance and locked and sealed while the cardinals are inside.
During each round, the electors write down the names of their preferred candidates on a slip of paper, deposit them in silver ur, and declare “before God” that they have voted for their conscience. The results are then read out to reveal the potential candidates and the strength of their support.
Voting continues until one man secures support for two-thirds of the electorate. The ballot is burned after each round, and if no decision has been made, black smoke is released from the chimney, while the white smoke indicates the next Pope’s choice.
The conclusion is infused with a prayer for God’s wisdom to guide electoral choices, and a lasting secret vow on the minutes.
Who will participate?
All 252 Catholic Cardinals can attend preliminary consultations on the assessment of Francis’ heritage and contemporary challenges of the Church. This is a debate that could have a major impact on the vote. However, only cardiacs under the age of 80 can vote or be selected for the new professional.
Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict, declared that the number of electors, which is the pace of Francis’ busy appointments, including the 20 new voting-era cardinals, named in 120, should be concluded with 120, but that means there are 136 eligible electors in the church.
Overall, Francis appointed 80% of this group. The group reflects the changing composition of the global Catholic Church, waning in the historic European centres, while thriving elsewhere.
There are only 53 Europeans, 24 from Asia, 18 from Africa, 18 from Central and South America, and 16 from North America.
How long does the conclave last?
In the Middle Ages, the permutation of the Pope lasted weeks or months as rival factions fought to place favorites in vacant seats. Recently, decision-making has accelerated, and the recent Pope was chosen in a few days.
It took eight rounds to elect Pope John Paul II in 1978, but Pope Benedict was elected after four rounds in 2005, and Francis was elected after five rounds in 2013.
However, Massimo Faggioli, professor of theology at Villanova University, said that given the number of electors and their geographical diversity, this diversity of the consensus is more complicated. “It gets very messy. There’s a lot of them and they don’t know each other very well,” he said.
The Conclave begins two to three weeks after Francis’ death, giving cardinals around the world time to travel to Rome.
If there is no decision after three days, the elector will pause a day of rest, prayer and informal consultations before voting on his resume. After failing seven rounds, the electors pause again. If the Pope is not yet selected after 33 rounds, the field will be cut into the top two cardinals, with a two-thirds of majority needed to secure the Pope.
Do you have any favorites for your work?
Francis’s race for success comes after his willingness to make his Pope, especially the Church, angered traditionalists.
Although there are no official candidates, the late Pope’s illness in recent months has shed light on several potential successors from Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.
The conclusion is notoriously unpredictable and could be overtaken by dark horses who will get support as the vote progresses.
“The secret to winning a vote is that you don’t have most of the votes in the first vote, but you can generate mileage as it progresses,” Faggioli said.
As there is a very popular Italian proverb, “If anyone enters the Conclave, the cardinal will be the Pope.”
