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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIII - N° 58
DATE 13-03-2013
Summary:
- BLACK SMOKE AT 11:40AM AND A TRANQUIL ST. PETER'S SQUARE
- HOW A POPE IS CHOSEN
___________________________________________________________
BLACK SMOKE AT 11:40AM AND A TRANQUIL ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) – This morning at 7:45am, the
cardinals electing the Pope left the Domus Sanctae Marthae and moved to the
Pauline Chapel where they celebrated Mass from 8:15am until 9:15am. At 9:30am
they entered the Sistine
Chapel and, after praying the Liturgy of the Hours, proceeded with the two
morning scrutinies. The “fumata”, again black, issued forth at
11:40 this morning, around 20 minutes earlier then expected.
At 1:00pm in the Media Center assembled at the Nervi Palace of the Vatican,
Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, met with
representatives from all the media agencies that are in Rome to report the
results of the Conclave.
“We are living a particularly beautiful and intense moment,” Fr.
Lombardi said. “We have reached the final stage of the period that begin
last month with Benedict XVI's renunciation and that will conclude with the
election of his
successor. We can feel the excitement growing: we can see it and feel it.
Yesterday evening there was already a large number of people awaiting the
“fumata”, even more than I was expecting. This is already an
indication of the serene and
joyful climate that characterizes these days and reminds me of the election,
eighth years ago, of Benedict XVI when people gathered as quickly as they
could arrive, on foot because the traffic was blocked, filling St. Peter's
Square to welcome their new
bishop, the Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church. Then and now we
feel the affection that the Romans hold for the Pope, always welcoming him
warmly wherever he might come from.”
Turning then to the negative result of the first three scrutinies, Fr.
Lombardi said: “Yesterday nobody was expecting a white &ld
uo;fumata”, nor today either. This is very normal. Looking back over the
Conclaves held in the last century,
only Pius XII, at the outset of the Second World War, was elected at the first
scrutiny.” He also explained that, in his opinion, none of the cardinals
participating in the Conclave are ill. “The rapidity of the vote shows
it. Making use of
the 'Infirmarii' (those who bring one of the voting urns to any cardinals who
are too ill to attend the proceedings in the Sistine Chapel) would require
more time. That is why I think that they are all within the Sistine
Chapel.”
After the tremendous quantities of black smoke produced at yesterday evening's
“fumata”, many asked about the chemical compound used to obtain
it. All that information is available in yesterday's VIS service. Today Fr.
Lombardi clarified:
“The smoke didn't damage any of Michelangelo's frescos or endanger the
health of the cardinals. The prelates are all doing well, are in good spirits,
and this morning some even walked to the Pauline Chapel, where they celebrated
Mass before
entering the Sistine Chapel.”
He also noted that, still referring to yesterday, he greeted Archbishop Georg
Ganswein, prefect of the Pontifical Household and personal secretary of Pope
emeritus Benedict XVI, who told him that the Pope is carefully following the
events of these days
and that he listened to the “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass
celebrated at the Vatican Basilica yesterday, which was presided over by the
Cardinal dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Fr.
Lombardi added that the Pope
emeritus will not participate in the Mass to inaugurate the new papacy and
that, although Archbishop Ganswein will remain at the Vatican until the
conclusion of the Conclave, Benedict XVI has the assistance of another
personal secretary at Castel
Gandolfo.
To give an idea of the atmosphere in the Conclave, Fr. Lombardi repeated a few
words from the German Cardinal Karl Lehman, who has previously participated in
another Conclave. Before entering the one in process, he explained that the
atmosphere inside
the Sistine Chapel is not cold or overly ceremonial but of a great
spirituality and, at the same time, solemnity. “They slowly approach the
altar with their ballot well-visible and, [after swearing the conviction of
his vote], each also returns to
his seat slowly. The cardinals do not speak loudly and the atmosphere,
presided over by Michelangelo's 'Final Judgement' gives a very strong
impression that cannot be overlooked,” the cardinal reported.
Fr. Lombardi then spoke of how the cardinals pass their time at the Domus
Sanctae Marthae. He said that the electors have complete freedom to use the
time as they see fit: resting, praying in the chapel, exchanging opinions in
order to arrive at their
choice, etc....
___________________________________________________________
HOW A POPE IS CHOSEN
Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) – What do the voting ballots for
electing a Pope look like? How are the votes counted? Can Cardinal electors
who are sick still cast a vote? The Apostolic Constitution "Universi Dominici
Gregis" (UDG) responds to
these and many other questions. It was promulgated by Blessed John Paul II in
1996 to specifically address the norms that would regulate the Sede Vacante
(period during which there is no reigning Pope) and the election of the Roman
Pontiff. On 22
February of this year, Benedict XVI released the Motu Proprio “Normas
Nonnullas”, which made a few modifications to the Apostolic
Constitution. Following are sections 64 to 71 of the UDG—incorporating
the modifications of the
“Normas Nonnullas”—which deal with the specifics of the
voting process during the Conclave in the Sistine Chapel.
64. “The voting process is carried out in three phases. The first phase,
which can be called the pre-scrutiny, comprises: 1) the preparation and
distribution of the ballot papers by the Masters of Ceremonies—they will
have been readmitted in
the meantime, together with the Secretary of the College of Cardinals and the
Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations—who give at least two or three
to each Cardinal elector; 2) the drawing by lot, from among all the Cardinal
electors, of three
Scrutineers, of three persons charged with collecting the votes of the sick,
called for the sake of brevity 'Infirmarii', and of three Revisers; this
drawing is carried out in public by the junior Cardinal Deacon, who draws out
nine names, one after
another, of those who shall carry out these tasks; 3) if, in the drawing of
lots for the Scrutineers, 'Infirmarii', and Revisers, there should come out
the names of Cardinal electors who because of infirmity or other reasons are
unable
to
carry out these tasks, the names of others who are not impeded are to be drawn
in their place. The first three drawn will act as Scrutineers, the second
three as 'Infirmarii', and the last three as Revisers.”
65. “For this phase of the voting process the following norms must be
observed: 1) the ballot paper must be rectangular in shape and must bear in
the upper half, in print if possible, the words 'Eligo in Summum Pontificem';
on the lower half there
must be a space left for writing the name of the person chosen; thus the
ballot is made in such a way that it can be folded in two; 2) the completion
of the ballot must be done in secret by each Cardinal elector, who will write
down legibly, as far as
possible in handwriting that cannot be identified as his, the name of the
person he chooses, taking care not to write other names as well, since this
would make the ballot null; he will then fold the ballot twice; 3) during the
voting, the Cardinal
electors are to remain alone in the Sistine Chapel; therefore, immediately
after the distribution of the ballots and before the electors begin to write,
the Secretary of the College of Cardinals, the Master of Papal Liturgical
Celebrat
ions
and the Masters of Ceremonies must leave the Chapel. After they have left, the
junior Cardinal Deacon shall close the door, opening and closing it again each
time this is necessary, as for example when the 'Infirmarii' go to collect the
votes of the
sick and when they return to the Chapel.”
66. “The second phase, the scrutiny proper, comprises: 1) the placing of
the ballots in the appropriate receptacle; 2) the mixing and counting of the
ballots; 3) the opening of the votes. Each Cardinal elector, in order of
precedence, having
completed and folded his ballot, holds it up so that it can be seen and
carries it to the altar, at which the Scrutineers stand and upon which there
is placed a receptacle, covered by a plate, for receiving the ballots. Having
reached the altar, the
Cardinal elector says aloud the words of the following oath: 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. He then places the ballot on the
plate, with which he
drops it into the receptacle. Having done this, he bows to the altar and
returns to his place.”
“If any of the Cardinal electors present in the Chapel is unable to go
to the altar because of infirmity, the last of the Scrutineers goes to him.
The infirm elector, having pronounced the above oath, hands the folded ballot
to the Scrutineer, who
carries it in full view to the altar and omitting the oath, places it on the
plate, with which he drops it into the receptacle.”
67. “If there are Cardinal electors who are sick and confined to their
rooms, referred to in Nos. 41ff of this Constitution, the three 'Infirmarii'
go to them with a box which has an opening in the top through which a folded
ballot can be
inserted. Before giving the box to the 'Infirmarii', the Scrutineers open it
publicly, so that the other electors can see that it is empty; they are then
to lock it and place the key on the altar. The 'Infirmarii', taking the locked
box and a sufficient
number of ballot papers on a small tray, then go, duly accompanied, to the
Domus Sanctae Marthae to each sick elector, who takes a ballot, writes his
vote in secret, folds the ballot and, after taking the above-mentioned oath,
puts it through the
opening in the box. If any of the electors who are sick is unable to write,
one of the three 'Infirmarii' or another Cardinal elector chosen by the sick
man, having taken an oath before the 'Infirmarii' concerning the observance of
secrecy, car
ries
out the above procedure. The 'Infirmarii' then take the box back into the
Chapel, where it shall be opened by the Scrutineers after the Cardinals
present have cast their votes. The Scrutineers then count the ballots in the
box and, having ascertained
that their number corresponds to the number of those who are sick, place them
one by one on the plate and then drop them all together into the receptacle.
In order not to prolong the voting process unduly, the 'Infirmarii' may
complete their own ballots
and place them in the receptacle immediately after the senior Cardinal, and
then go to collect the votes of the sick in the manner indicated above while
the other electors are casting their votes.”
68. “After all the ballots of the Cardinal electors have been placed in
the receptacle, the first Scrutineer shakes it several times in order to mix
them, and immediately afterwards the last Scrutineer proceeds to count them,
picking them out of
the urn in full view and placing them in another empty receptacle previously
prepared for this purpose. If the number of ballots does not correspond to the
number of electors, the ballots must all be burned and a second vote taken at
once; if however
their number does correspond to the number of electors, the opening of the
ballots then takes place in the following manner.”
69. “The Scrutineers sit at a table placed in front of the altar. The
first of them takes a ballot, unfolds it, notes the name of the person chosen
and passes the ballot to the second Scrutineer, who in his turn notes the name
of the person chosen
and passes the ballot to the third, who reads it out in a loud and clear
voice, so that all the electors present can record the vote on a sheet of
paper prepared for that purpose. He himself writes down the name read from the
ballot. If during the
opening of the ballots the Scrutineers should discover two ballots folded in
such a way that they appear to have been completed by one elector, if these
ballots bear the same name they are counted as one vote; if however they bear
two different names,
neither vote will be valid; however, in neither of the two cases is the voting
session annulled.”
“When all the ballots have been opened, the Scrutineers add up the sum
of the votes obtained by the different names and write them down on a separate
sheet of paper. The last Scrutineer, as he reads out the individual ballots,
pierces each one
with a needle through the word 'Eligo' and places it on a thread, so that the
ballots can be more securely preserved. After the names have been read out,
the ends of the thread are tied in a knot, and the ballots thus joined
together are placed in a
receptacle or on one side of the table.”
70. “There then follows the third and last phase, also known as the
post-scrutiny, which comprises: 1) the counting of the votes; 2) the checking
of the same; 3) the burning of the ballots.”
“The Scrutineers add up all the votes that each individual has received,
and if no one has obtained at least two thirds of the votes on that ballot,
the Pope has not been elected; if however it turns out that someone has
obtained at least two
thirds of the votes, the canonically valid election of the Roman Pontiff has
taken place.”
“In either case, that is, whether the election has occurred or not, the
Revisers must proceed to check both the ballots and the notes made by the
Scrutineers, in order to make sure that these latter have performed their task
exactly and
faithfully.”
“Immediately after the checking has taken place, and before the Cardinal
electors leave the Sistine Chapel, all the ballots are to be burnt by the
Scrutineers, with the assistance of the Secretary of the Conclave and the
Masters of Ceremonies who
in the meantime have been summoned by the junior Cardinal Deacon. If however a
second vote is to take place immediately, the ballots from the first vote will
be burned only at the end, together with those from the second vote.”
71. “In order that secrecy may be better observed, I order each and
every Cardinal elector to hand over to the Cardinal Camerlengo or to one of
the three Cardinal Assistants any notes which he may have in his possession
concerning the results of
each ballot. These notes are to be burnt together with the ballots.”
“I further lay down that at the end of the election the Cardinal
Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church shall draw up a document, to be approved
also by the three Cardinal Assistants, declaring the result of the voting at
each session. This document
is to be given to the Pope and will thereafter be kept in a designated
archive, enclosed in a sealed envelope, which may be opened by no one unless
the Supreme Pontiff gives explicit permission.”
___________________________________________________________
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VISnews130313
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXIII - N° 58DATE 13-03-2013
Summary: - BLACK SMOKE AT 11:40AM AND A
TRANQUIL ST. PETER'S SQUARE - HOW A POPE IS CHOSEN
BLACK SMOKE AT 11:40AM AND A TRANQUIL ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) – This morning at 7:45am, the
cardinals electing the Pope left the Domus Sanctae Marthae and moved to the
Pauline Chapel where they celebrated Mass from 8:15am until 9:15am. At 9:30am
they entered the Sistine
Chapel and, after praying the Liturgy of the Hours, proceeded with the two
morning scrutinies. The “fumata”, again black, issued forth at
11:40 this morning, around 20 minutes earlier then expected.
At 1:00pm in the Media Center assembled at the Nervi Palace of the Vatican,
Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, met with
representatives from all the media agencies that are in Rome to report the
results of the
Conclave.
“We are living a particularly beautiful and intense moment,”
Fr. Lombardi said. “We have reached the final stage of the period that
begin last month with Benedict XVI's renunciation and that will conclude with
the election of his
successor. We can feel the excitement growing: we can see it and feel it.
Yesterday evening there was already a large number of people awaiting the
“fumata”, even more than I was expecting. This is already an
indication of the serene and
joyful climate that characterizes these days and reminds me of the election,
eighth years ago, of Benedict XVI when people gathered as quickly as they
could arrive, on foot because the traffic was blocked, filling St. Peter's
Square to welcome their new
bishop, the Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church. Then and now we
feel the affection that the Romans hold for the Pope, always welcoming him
warmly wherever he might come from.”
Turning then to the negative result of the first three scrutinies, Fr.
Lombardi said: “Yesterday nobody was expecting a white &ld
uo;fumata”, nor today either. This is very normal. Looking back over the
Conclaves held in the last century,
only Pius XII, at the outset of the Second World War, was elected at the first
scrutiny.” He also explained that, in his opinion, none of the cardinals
participating in the Conclave are ill. “The rapidity of the vote shows
it. Making use of
the 'Infirmarii' (those who bring one of the voting urns to any cardinals who
are too ill to attend the proceedings in the Sistine Chapel) would require
more time. That is why I think that they are all within the Sistine
Chapel.”
After the tremendous quantities of black smoke produced at yesterday
evening's “fumata”, many asked about the chemical compound used to
obtain it. All that information is available in yesterday's VIS service. Today
Fr. Lombardi clarified:
“The smoke didn't damage any of Michelangelo's frescos or endanger the
health of the cardinals. The prelates are all doing well, are in good spirits,
and this morning some even walked to the Pauline Chapel, where they celebrated
Mass before
entering the Sistine Chapel.”
He also noted that, still referring to yesterday, he greeted Archbishop
Georg Ganswein, prefect of the Pontifical Household and personal secretary of
Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who told him that the Pope is carefully following
the events of these
days and that he listened to the “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice”
Mass celebrated at the Vatican Basilica yesterday, which was presided over by
the Cardinal dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Fr.
Lombardi added that the
Pope emeritus will not participate in the Mass to inaugurate the new papacy
and that, although Archbishop Ganswein will remain at the Vatican until the
conclusion of the Conclave, Benedict XVI has the assistance of another
personal secretary at Castel
Gandolfo.
To give an idea of the atmosphere in the Conclave, Fr. Lombardi repeated a
few words from the German Cardinal Karl Lehman, who has previously
participated in another Conclave. Before entering the one in process, he
explained that the atmosphere
inside the Sistine Chapel is not cold or overly ceremonial but of a great
spirituality and, at the same time, solemnity. “They slowly approach the
altar with their ballot well-visible and, [after swearing the conviction of
his vote], each also
returns to his seat slowly. The cardinals do not speak loudly and the
atmosphere, presided over by Michelangelo's 'Final Judgement' gives a very
strong impression that cannot be overlooked,” the cardinal reported.
Fr. Lombardi then spoke of how the cardinals pass their time at the Domus
Sanctae Marthae. He said that the electors have complete freedom to use the
time as they see fit: resting, praying in the chapel, exchanging opinions in
order to arrive at
their choice, etc....
Vatican City, 13 March 2013 (VIS) – What do the voting ballots for
electing a Pope look like? How are the votes counted? Can Cardinal electors
who are sick still cast a vote? The Apostolic Constitution "Universi Dominici
Gregis" (UDG) responds
to these and many other questions. It was promulgated by Blessed John Paul II
in 1996 to specifically address the norms that would regulate the Sede Vacante
(period during which there is no reigning Pope) and the election of the Roman
Pontiff. On 22
February of this year, Benedict XVI released the Motu Proprio “Normas
Nonnullas”, which made a few modifications to the Apostolic
Constitution. Following are sections 64 to 71 of the UDG—incorporating
the modifications of the
“Normas Nonnullas”—which deal with the specifics of the
voting process during the Conclave in the Sistine Chapel.
64. “The voting process is carried out in three phases. The first
phase, which can be called the pre-scrutiny, comprises: 1) the preparation and
distribution of the ballot papers by the Masters of Ceremonies—they will
have been readmitted
in the meantime, together with the Secretary of the College of Cardinals and
the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations—who give at least two or
three to each Cardinal elector; 2) the drawing by lot, from among all the
Cardinal electors, of three
Scrutineers, of three persons charged with collecting the votes of the sick,
called for the sake of brevity 'Infirmarii', and of three Revisers; this
drawing is carried out in public by the junior Cardinal Deacon, who draws out
nine names, one after
another, of those who shall carry out these tasks; 3) if, in the drawing of
lots for the Scrutineers, 'Infirmarii', and Revisers, there should come out
the names of Cardinal electors who because of infirmity or
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