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by Fr. Freely Muthukudararchchi
The first General Congregation of the College of Cardinals was convened on March 4th, at 9 o’clock in the New Synod Hall. A second was held that same Monday afternoon at 5 o’clock. The Conclave to elect the new Pope may begin before March 15, decided after a vote taken by the Cardinals in the General Congregations, following the recent change which provided for the advancement of the Conclave by the Cardinals. The norms to be followed during the election of the Roman Pontiff are given in the Apostolic Constitution, UniversiDominicigregis issued in 1996 by Pope John Paul II.
The electors
The maximum number of voting Cardinals who can enter the Conclave is 120. At present there are 117 eligible Cardinals who are under the age of 80. However, two Cardinals have expressed their inability to attend the Conclave and the number of Cardinals who will be voting have come down to 115. There are 90 Cardinals who are above the age of eligibility for voting.
The forms of election known as "by acclamation" or "by compromise" are abolished. The only form of electing the Pope is by scrutiny, which is by the vote of the Cardinals. The right to elect the Roman Pontiff belongs exclusively to the Cardinals of Holy Roman Church. The right of active election by any other ecclesiastical dignitary or the intervention of any lay power of whatsoever grade or order is absolutely excluded (no. 33).
The place
The Sistine Chapel is the place where the meetings of the Conclave take place and DomusSanctaeMarthae is the place where the Cardinals take lodging during the period of the Conclave. In order that the election of the Supreme Pontiff is carried out with due privacy and freedom the premises of the Sistine Chapel and DomusSanctaeMarthae will be closed during this period to unauthorized persons.
In a special way, careful and stringent checks are carried out, with the help of trustworthy individuals of proven technical ability, to ensure that no audiovisual equipment has been secretly installed in these areas for recording and transmission to the outside (no. 52).
Pontifical secrecy
The Cardinal electors, from the beginning of the election until its conclusion and the public announcement of its outcome, are not to communicate — whether by writing, by telephone or by any other means of communication — with persons outside the area where the election is taking place, except in cases of proven and urgent necessity (No. 44). Anyone while legitimately present in Vatican City, who should happen to meet one of the Cardinal electors during the time of the election, is absolutely forbidden to engage in conversation of any sort, by whatever means and for whatever reason, with that Cardinal (no. 45). All persons discharging duties during the Conclave are obliged to maintain strict secrecy regarding the election process.
There are two kinds of oaths that are to be taken before the beginning of the Conclave; one by those assisting at the Conclave procedures in the following manner: I will observe absolute and perpetual secrecy with all who are not part of the College of Cardinal electors concerning all matters directly or indirectly related to the ballots cast and their scrutiny for the election of the Supreme Pontiff.
They are also obliged to promise that they will refrain from using any audio or video equipment capable of recording anything which takes place during the period of the election within Vatican City.
The other oath is by the Cardinal electors in the following manner: "We, the Cardinal electors present in this election of the Supreme Pontiff promise, pledge and swear, ….In a particular way, we promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting…"
The Cardinal electors are likewise to refrain from receiving or sending messages of any kind outside Vatican City. Cardinal electors are specifically prohibited, for the entire duration of the election, from receiving newspapers or periodicals of any sort, to listen to the radio or to watch television (no. 57).
They shall make every effort to preserve that secrecy by ensuring that no audiovisual equipment for recording or transmitting has been installed by anyone in the areas of the Conclave, and particularly in the Sistine Chapel itself, where the acts of the election are carried out.
Election procedures
The Cardinal electors shall meet in the Basilica of Saint Peter’s in the Vatican, to take part in a solemn Eucharistic celebration with the Votive Mass Pro Eligendo Papa – for the election of the Pope according the prescriptions of OrdoRituumConclavis – the ritual order of the Conclave.
From the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where they will assemble at a suitable hour in the afternoon, the Cardinal electors, in choir dress, and invoking the assistance of the Holy Spirit with the chant of the Veni Creator, will solemnly process to the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where the election will be held. There the Cardinals will take the oath of confidentiality.
Then the Retreat Master previously chosen to preach to the Cardinal electors will deliver the second meditation and he leaves the Chapel. Should the election begin on the afternoon of the first day, only one ballot is to be held; then, on the following days, if no one was elected on the first ballot, two ballots shall be held in the morning and two in the afternoon (no.63).
Phases of the election
There are three phases to the election called: pre-scrutiny, scrutiny and post-scrutiny. In the pre-scrutiny process, the ballot papers are distributed to the Cardinals by the Secretary of the College of Cardinals and Masters of Ceremonies. The ballot has two halves; on the upper half it is printed "Eligo in SummumPontificem" (Election of the Sumpreme Pontiff); in the lower half, space for writing name of the Cardinal to whom one is voting, but not revealing the name of the one voting.
In the second phase of scrutiny, the Cardinals one by one reaches the altar and places the ballot on the plate and says aloud "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" and drops the ballot in the box.
The Scrutineers sit at a table placed in front of the altar. After the first two have recorded the name, the ballot is passed to the third, who reads it out in a loud and clear voice, so that all the Cardinal electors present can record the vote on a sheet of paper prepared for that purpose(no.69).
There then follows the third and last phase, known as the post-scrutiny, which comprises: the counting of the votes; the checking of same. The Scrutineers add up all the votes that each individual has received, if it turns out that someone has obtained two thirds of the votes, the canonically valid election of the Roman Pontiff has taken place. If not a second ballot is to take place immediately. The burning of the ballots takes place either after a Pope has been chosen (white smoke) or after two unsuccessful sessions (black smoke).
Two thirds majority
The majority required to elect the Pope this time stands at 77 votes, which is 2/3 and one additional vote out of the total of 115 votes. If at the time of the beginning of the Conclave the total number of Cardinals voting comes down, the majority could be less than 77. The requirement of a two third majority has been prescribed always. At any session of balloting, if a Cardinal receives 77 votes, or at least two thirds of the votes of that ballot, then the Roman Pontiff has been elected.
According to the revised norms of 2007, after the usual way of voting for three days if a decision has not been made, that is to say, that a Cardinal has not received a two third majority, the voting is suspended for one day. That day will be dedicated to prayer, reflection and an exhortation given by the Cardinal Senior in the order of deacons.
Then the voting is resumed for seven more ballots. If still there is no result, another pause for prayer and reflection will be set aside with an exhortation given by the Cardinal Senior in the order of priests.
Another series of seven ballots is then held and, if there has still been no election, this is followed by a further pause for prayer, discussion and an exhortation given by the Senior Cardinal in the Order of Bishops.
This time too, the voting will continue for seven more ballots for the final time in the usual manner. If the balloting does not result in an election, one day shall be dedicated to prayer, reflection and dialogue.
After the 33rd ballot, in the successive balloting, only the two names which received the highest number of votes in the previous scrutiny will have passive voice, that is to say, only the two Cardinals who got the highest number of votes will stand for election. In these ballots the two names having passive voice do not have active voice; that means, those two Cardinals will abstain from voting for themselves. In this case too, for a valid election to take place there must be a clear majority of at least two thirds of the votes of the Cardinals present and voting (new revised law).
According to the norms, there seems to be no limit set to the number of balloting in this final phase. It says "in the successive balloting," which could be stated as until one of the candidates gets the two third required. But all of the latter will take place only if a Pope is not elected in the first three days of balloting.
Acceptance by Cardinal elected
When a ballot has resulted in electing the Pope, the Cardinal Dean, or the Cardinal who is first in order and seniority, in the name of the whole College of electors, then asks the consent of the one elected in the following words: Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff? And, as soon as he has received the consent, he asks him: By what name do you wish to be called?
Then the white smoke will rise from the chimney over the roof of the Sistine Chapel following the burning of the ballots. After which the senior Cardinal Deacon announces to the waiting people that the election has taken place and proclaims the name of the new Pope, who immediately thereafter imparts the Apostolic Blessing UrbietOrbi from the balcony of the Vatican Basilica.
These are the words of encouragement that Pope John Paul II wrote as an exhortation to the new Pope, at the end of his Apostolic Constitution: ‘I also ask the one who is elected not to refuse, for fear of its weight, the office to which he has been called, but to submit humbly to the design of the divine will. God who imposes the burden will sustain him with his hand, so that he will be able to bear it. In conferring the heavy task upon him, God will also help him to accomplish it and, in giving him the dignity, he will grant him the strength not to be overwhelmed by the weight of his office (no. 86).
The universal Church, spiritually united with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, should persevere with one heart in prayer; thus the election of the new Pope will not be something unconnected with the People of God and concerning the College of electors alone, but will be in a certain sense an act of the whole Church.
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