The transition from one pope to the following generally is a mystifying time for individuals who aren’t acquainted with the workings of the Roman Catholic Church — and even to some who’re.
The method is ruled by centuries-old guidelines and traditions that include their very own vocabulary, a lot of it in Latin. The election of a brand new pope is prone to play out over weeks or months as a small group of Catholic prelates decides on the following chief of a worldwide flock of greater than a billion devoted.
With the primary papal transition in additional than a decade underway following the death of Pope Francis, listed here are some phrases to know:
Conclave
That is the assembly of cardinals, set to begin May 7, that may elect the following pope. The phrase comes from the Latin “with key,” and refers back to the isolation imposed on the lads (and so they have all the time been males) as they make their choice contained in the Vatican. They can’t depart the conclave besides in uncommon instances, and telephones, the web and newspapers aren’t allowed.
The cardinals vote by secret poll till a two-thirds majority is reached, and a brand new pope is elected. The method was lately dramatized within the film “Conclave,” which papal specialists mentioned introduced a fairly accurate depiction. (The New York Occasions has written about a few of the possible contenders.)
School of Cardinals
Cardinals, often known as the “princes of the church,” are the second-highest rating Catholic prelates, and collectively they’re often known as the School of Cardinals. There are 252 cardinals, appointed by the pope to help and advise him on Church affairs, and when a pope dies, it falls to the faculty to decide on a successor.
The phrase cardinal comes from the Latin “cardinalis,” which suggests “serving as a hinge.”
The group is led by a dean, a place at the moment held by Giovanni Battista Re, a 91-year-old Italian who has spent most of his career serving in the Roman curia. He’ll preside over the conferences that lead as much as the conclave however is not going to attend the gathering, as solely cardinals underneath the age of 80 are eligible to vote for pope.
Camerlengo
The camerlengo, appointed by the pope earlier than his loss of life, is a cardinal who administers the Vatican from the second the pontiff dies till a successor is elected, and who oversees lots of the duties of the transition.
His duties embrace eradicating the pope’s ceremonial ring — often known as the fisherman’s ring — after his loss of life, sealing his research and bed room and presiding over his internment.
The Italian phrase comes from the Medieval Latin “camarlingus,” which suggests chamberlain. The place is at the moment held by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, a 77-year-old American who was born in Eire.
Sede vacante
That is the interval between pontiffs and comes from a Latin phrase that means “the seat is empty.” Throughout this time, with the camerlengo serving because the Vatican’s de facto administrator, the School of Cardinals retains basic oversight of the Church, however just isn’t allowed to make any main choices.
The longest sede vacante, based on the historian Salvador Miranda, was greater than two years and 7 months, the result of infighting between French and Italian factions of the cardinals, and resulted in 1271 with the election of Gregory X.
White smoke
After rounds of voting within the conclave, the ballots are burned. Wisps of smoke emerge from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel, and onlookers who collect exterior look ahead to an indication that the cardinals have decided.
If the smoke is coloured black, it means they’re deadlocked. White smoke means a brand new pope has been elected. Chemical substances are used to alter the colour, though in 2005, the Vatican additionally started ringing the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica to substantiate {that a} choice had been made.
‘Habemus papam’
When a brand new pope is chosen, he emerges, wearing a white cassock, on a balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. A senior cardinal stands with him and proclaims, “Habemus papam,” a Latin phrase that means, “We’ve got a pope.”
