| |
| |
|
Religion Information |
|
|
|
Conclave: Electing a New Pope
Upon the death of the Pope, a monumental sequence of events unfolds, culminating in a process known as the conclave whereby a new Pope is elected to lead the Roman Catholic faith. Beneath Michelangelo's revered ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, the College of Cardinals, led by the Cardinal Camerlegno (Cardinal Chamberlain), Eduardo Martinez Somalo, begins the arduous process of selecting the pope's successor. The Cardinalate currently consists of 117 cardinals from all over the world. In the conclave, an event enduring little change since the thirteenth century, the cardinals take an oath of secrecy, that if broken renders the offender automatically excommunicated from the church. There are no televisions, radios, or newspapers allowed inside the conclave. The Cardinal Electors, almost all of whom were appointed by Pope John Paul II, will vote in a very thorough process of secret balloting where a two-thirds majority is needed to elect a new Pope. The College may vote up to four times a day, but if a new Pope has not been chosen by the third day, then the cardinals cease the voting process for a day of prayer and reflection. Following the day of prayer, the cardinals will commence for another seven votes, then another day of prayer. If after 12 days a pope has still not been elected, then the two-thirds majority vote is negated and a vote by simple majority is instated. The first indication to the outside world that a new pope has been elected is the telling smoke signals. After each voting session a smoke signal is given by burning the ballots. If the voting session is inconclusive, straw is added to the burning ballots to produce black smoke. Conversely, white smoke signals that a new pope has been chosen. In the past the College usually elects a cardinal that has been under consideration for some time. The two requirements for eligibility for the papacy are that the candidates must be a man and Catholic. Although any Catholic male is technically eligible, history shows that the candidates are always cardinals. What is new in this upcoming papal election is the doctrine of Vatican II, which no longer requires cardinals to study Latin. Therefore, the issue of a language barrier is a potential problem that the College may face, since many of the cardinals for the first time in history, will not share a common language. Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978 and has since been revered by Catholics as well as other Christian denominations, Jews, and Muslims for being a "Pope for the people." More than any of his predecessors, Pope John Paul II traveled the world, visiting and praying with the people of the area. Many attribute the restoration of the Catholic Church to Pope John Paul II. Much speculation has occurred regarding the Pope's successor. The outcome of the conclave is widely anticipated and only when we hear the Latin phrase "Habemus Papam" come from the dean of the cardinals will the world know who the next Pope will be. Amanda Milewski is a contributing writer for the Pope Blog - Conclave Edition http://thepopeblog.blogspot.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Greatest Love and Self-image The Greek language had three words for "Love" First there was "eros," from which we get "erotic.. God is not a Homicidal Maniac One day on the listserve for my support group it got posted that it was all part of God's plan that we got HSP, so it was okay because God wills it. Bull! Somewhere along the way the genes got goofed up and that is why we have HSP. Harry Potter To Christians: Its Not Good To Hear Voices That is the popular and, thank God (if you'll pardon the use of the G name) the politically correct feeling among most Christians today. You will recall that in the second book of the Potter series, The Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter alone heard the voice of the basilisk. The Wisdom of this World is Foolishness with God Once you start to receive the knowledge and wisdom of God flowing into your life - you will find something very interesting that will start to happen. You'll start to see the difference between the knowledge and wisdom of God versus the knowledge and wisdom of this world. Discipled by the Kingdom of Heaven -- Becoming a KingdomScribe! Jesus tells a story - a powerful story - that illustrates how God's Truth for today is always a new Word for today. And it also helps us understand that if all we're holding onto are "old truths", we're really holding onto no truths!(By the way -- if you want to read a summary of this teaching, just read the words in bold. Why Churches Die: Denying The Gift Of Healing The Sick Recently a question was posted on a Christian forum asking why so few churches practice anointing with oil to heal the sick (See James 5:14). That's a good question. Story of Solomon Without question, the greatest story in the Bible of someone who sought after the knowledge and wisdom of God and actually received it was King Solomon in the Old Testament. What happened to this man was just about beyond belief. Miracle Worker The power of the Holy Spirit is so profound it is truly a wonder, beyond human intelligence. Let's take a look at what the Bible says about miracles. The Kabbalah Kraze! I remember hearing a minister years ago as he quoted Dwight L. Moody. Helping Others - What Did Jesus Say? Helping others was something Jesus did on a dailybasis. He was constantly approached by people, but Healways found time to stop what He was doing to helpthose in need. Rock of Ages William Jennings Bryan said: "Christians desire that their children shall be taught all the sciences, but they do not want them to lose sight of the Rock of Ages while they study the age of rocks."It may seem incredible to those who do not know that the Churchians created the Devil as a means of keeping their flock in fear - who also think the Devil is a Pagan concept. Catholic Church Ready to Fall? Americans waited for an explanation of the molestations of thousands of parishioners, they waited for a statement about abuses of power pedophilia and homosexuality of Priests. They did not get more than a little apology, which did not sit well with most Americans. Heads I Win, Tails You Lose In a time when public scrutiny is becoming tighter and more pervasive businesses have learned that they need to be on guard more than ever to ensure they are operating by ethical standards. Though not often mentioned in this discussion, I believe it is especially true of Christian organizations in whom trust is placed by donors. The Gospel Of Convenience The subject of this document is so unpleasing to the 21st century American Christian, I believe that by writing it, I will step across a threshold of "Main stream evangelical Christian", to a "radical", a "dissenter", "out there" and even "lost" in the eyes of some folks who read these words. So be it. New Orleans is only the Beginning as Prophecy Unfolds We are all very well aware of the tragedies occurring right now in the United States; particularly New Orleans. Yet, Bible Prophecy never leaves us to chance what is happening. The Use and Abuse of Mysticism in The Song of Songs The incorporation of Aristotelian thought into the dogma of Catholicism was not the first attempt to have alchemy co-opted or hermeneutically imbued into the whole system of thought. The fact that Aquinas did this under the tutelage of a Dominican Bishop who is regarded as the forbear of Goethe and Illuminized thought has not escaped me. Mindset - Being Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind The Bible tells us that one of the main goals God has in store for each of us is our transformation. The Bible tells us that God wants to sanctify us - to make us more Holy like He is. Consider, The Past, Present and Future? Consider the past. A time when we were prosperous and growing?Consider the past, when God added to the church daily, such as needed to be saved. Spring Into Gods Love Spring is springing here in the Pacific Northwest the plants and trees are blooming. We are fast approaching the Christian celebration of Easter Sunday and if my Catholic is correct we should be in Lent right now. Biblically Speaking of Evil and National Security We have been learning to think Biblically and speak Scripturally about evil in order to teach our children about the dangers present in our fallen world, while setting our affections on things above (Colossians 3:2) and staying Spiritually minded (Romans 8:6). We first noticed that "it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret" (Ephesians 5:12), so we don't speak of those things.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
