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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

News Vatican Information Service 03/13/2013



SUMMARY:

- BLACK SMOKE AT 11:40AM AND A TRANQUIL ST. PETER'S SQUARE
- HOW A POPE IS CHOSEN
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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 “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 Celebrations 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, carries 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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