Father Sinz: The choice of the High Pope is a moment of hope

Renato Martinez – Vatican City

After the death of Pope Francis, which occurred on April 21, the Apostolic headquarters occurred. After the “three classic stations” of the deceased door funeral, which will be concluded on Sunday, May 4, lived with the last celebration of My fatherThat is, in the nine days of the Eucharist celebrations against the right of Pope Francis, the process of choosing the next successor for Peter will begin. About what is happening in the Vatican and what is the global church that a dialogue with Father Christian Sinz, SJ, Professor of Church History at Gregory Pontifical University.

The vacancy of the Apostolic headquarters indicates that the Episcopal headquarters, where there are many episcopal places in the world, is vacant at that time, either by the resignation of the ruling bishop or the death of the bishop himself.

What is flavor? What does this term mean?

In fact, it has its roots in Latin, “When the key”. “key” In Latin it is a “key”, for example, from there the Italian comes “key”. And “with” comes from the proposal “Small Small”This is, “with a key”. Holding “key” contract. Basically, where comes the word Conclave. Now, in our time, that means the entire rituals, which is the process of choosing the Pope, the future bishop of Rome.

Who can participate in the side? How will this process be developed?

What is mentioned in the rules, that the Conclave rules over the centuries have changed sometimes, and the last amendment with Pope Benedict XII with the Apostolic Charter was “The rules.” In general, they can participate and the right to choose the Roman ink all the Cardinals under the age of 80, with the exception of those who, before the day of the death of the Pope or the day when the Apostolic headquarters is vacant, reached 80 years.

In fact, at this time we can distinguish between moments. The side, precisely To choose Baba After that, the official procession towards the Sistin Church, where the electoral model will be closed and isolated from the media, in a kind of retirement. Now, they are not yet at that point. We are in the preparatory stage, where the general gatherings of the entire College of Cardinal are implemented to address the general issues of the Apostolic headquarters and the International Church; And private gatherings, only with Cardinal voters to address issues related to elections.

Now, there are 252 Cardinal around the world, but this does not mean that everyone will be here in Rome. Of these 252, there are only 135 voters entering Conclave to choose ink 267 come from 71 countries of the five continents. There are two types of purple that will not participate, so, 133 Conclave will enter. 17 African countries, 15 from America, 17 from Asia, 18 from Europe and 4 from Oceania represented. In addition, among the 134 voters, 108 of them are the first time they came to being. There are only 26 of the veterans, among the voters.

How does this flavor differ from the last time we lived with the choice of Pope Francis?

Perhaps, the big difference with the last being, which perhaps many of us agreed that seeing it by the media, on television or being here, is that Pope Benedict XVI resigned, there was no new time, that is, there was no moment of edges. Now we are in a moment of mourning and we can definitely see in many symmetries and masses that spoke with the voting of Pope Francis, thinking, and thinking about Pontif and life. In the case of Benedict, it was not because I was still alive. After that, he looked more towards the future, there was more operations rather than thinking and thinking about the past.

What is the importance of this preparatory stage? What trends can we abandon the legacy of the late Pope?

It is definitely directed at prayer, thinking. Cardinals have a small sermon in the morning, and some points of reflection as retirement, but they are in an environment at this time as well of retirement, thinking, prayer, and the sermon of the mass every day, as a tendency towards what we can pray, and what are the spiritual concerns, especially because it thinks often, with many political campaigns, but this is a political campaign. We are talking if a spiritual task, especially. So perhaps for the world, we think about other things, and other concerns, but they are not always the same fears of the Cardinate that vote.

The beginning of the flavor was set on May 7, what will happen on the first day?

On May 7, we have the vowed mass To choose BabaAnd that is, to choose the Holy Father, who will be held in Bazilica San Pedro. Then, I will start, I think at about 10.00 am. Then, in the afternoon of Paulina’s chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the voters will go in an official procession, and sings creator Towards the Sistin Church, where the Pope’s choice will occur. There, in the Sistin Church, the slope will be issued, then the master of the papal liturgical celebrations will be pronounced Out of everythingAnd everyone outside the range should leave the cystin.

After that, the designated church will have the second meditation for Cardinal voters on Wednesday afternoon to continue the first vote. We remember that, according to the rules of elections suitable for the Roman Babon, at least two -thirds of the votes are required, and it is calculated on all present and voters.

In successive days, how many votes per day? Who is responsible for giving the announcement of the election of the new Pope?

After the first day, two checks will be held in the morning and two in the afternoon in successive days. We do not necessarily know the exact time it will be, but if someone in the first round of the morning does not reach two thirds of the majority to win, it is also a base that has been modified over the years, it is immediately transferred to the second round. Thus, some until some reach at least two -thirds of the votes, that is, at least 89 of the Cardinals of 135 voters.

Many ask that in the John Paul II document, The dominic universe is from the herdA maximum of 120 is established for the number of Cardinals, but we now see that there are 134 voters. What happens to this number of Cardinals who exceeded this limit?

On the number 33 of The dominic universe is from the herd It is noteworthy that the maximum number of Cardinals should not exceed 120. But immediately after that, the 36th place is ranked by the same document, it was emphasized that, the cardinal that was created and published in Constory, has the right to choose the Pope. In addition, it should be borne in mind that some Cardinals are years old in the coming months, exceeding 80 years and retirement. So, the number 120, although it is a good independent number, is a recommendation, that is, there may be 119 or there may be 118 or 125. It is not an accurate number, it has been overcome, but also thinking about the future.

Choosing the Pope is the moment of hope

Some and the jubilee asked me what, that is, was it hung? No, how will it be suspended at this time? No, we are in a year of hope and this is the subject of the jubilee, from the year of the jubilee, right? It seems to me that in the life of the Church this moment from the convict, the choice of the highest ink is a moment of hope. So we can live this year more than that on hope, put the hope of the church, for all our local churches that we, this week, this hope will appear, and hope will be seen to achieve hope, and the prayer of its church. So it is a very strong week, very important for us.