Cardinals participate in the Nov. 2012 consistory in St. Peter's Basilica. Credit: Lewis Ashton Glancy/CNA.
Posted on 03/04/2013 12:46:21 PM PST by NYer
.- While the cardinals created by Benedict XVI arrive in Rome and get acquainted with the pre-conclave operations, cardinals from the old establishment are pushing for a quick conclave.
An anonymous cardinal – which is how this type of pressure is usually applied – told the Italian press agency AGI that his “dream is that the Church will have a new Pope within this week,” and that “this is possible if the congregation set this Thursday, the 7th, as the date for the conclave, and the conclave elects the new Pope by Friday, the 8th.”
This is almost impossible, since the Sistine Chapel must still be prepared for the conclave and has not been closed to visitors yet.
In 2005, the Vatican office that deals with furnishing and decorating the Sacred Palace – called the Floreria Apostolica – began preparing the Sistine Chapel on April 5 and the conclave did not begin on April 18. And even though the Floreria clerks are not busy with the novendiali – the nine days of mourning for the late Pope – the Sistine Chapel will not probably be ready for at least seven days.
These kind of anonymous declarations appear to be part of maneuvering to hurry the conclave.
Cardinals from the old establishment are among the most active in this pre-conclave period.
On Sunday, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Dean of the College of Cardinals. As the former Vatican Secretary of State, Sodano led the movement during the 2005 conclave to prevent Ratzinger’s election. Sodano will not be part of this the conclave – he turned 80 six years ago – but he will manage the General Congregation meeting of cardinals that began this morning.
In the Sistine Chapel, Sodano’s man will be Leonardo Sandri, whose career developed under Sodano’s wings ever since he was appointed papal nuncio to Mexico.
And in informal meetings ahead of the conclave, Cardinal Sandri has been one of the most active, working to organize the old establishment cardinals, especially those who are part of the circle of diplomats.
This small group was not overjoyed by Benedict XVI’s election, and they lost influence under his pontificate. After “Ratzinger’s parenthesis,” they would like a Pope who is more won-over to their issues and their influence.
Under Benedict XVI, the old guard lost their control over the Secretariat of State, a blow they haven’t forgotten.
The fact that the Pope emeritus chose Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone as his secretary of state when he did not have a diplomatic career irked them, and so many of the attacks against him originated from their quarter.
When it comes to the conclave, the diplomats are looking for some sort of vindication, pushing for a quick conclave to take advantage of the inexperience of the most recently created cardinals.
They are backing the option of electing a second Pope Roncalli (John XXIII), i.e. a very old Pope who is able to innovate. For the time this has meant a resurrection of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Ratzinger’s main contender for the papacy in 2005.
Meanwhile, the American cardinals are advocating a later conclave date.
Last week, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York remarked, “Don’t hurry the conclave.”
When the conclave will take place is still up in the air.
At a March 4 afternoon press conference, Vatican press office director Father Federico Lombardi told journalists that there are still 12 cardinals who have not yet arrived in Rome but that they will all arrive by Tuesday.
Ping!!
Which is why I bust out laughing when one of these Cardinals claims that the conclave “is not a political process”.
Agreed. They’ve been plotting ever since they got out of the door right after BXVI announced his resignation.
The libs think this is their big chance.
I read a list of the cardinals who haven’t shown up, and I wasn’t surprised to find that several conservative (but even nearby ones, like Madrid’s Cardinal Rouco) haven’t shown up. They can’t set the date until all the voting cardinals are present, so this is a way of putting the brakes on the thing.
I think the American delegation...whose head is, believe it or not, Cardinal Mahony...is all there now, though.
I read that Cdl Dolan celebrated mass at St Peter’s tomb on Sunday and did not concelebrate with the other American cardinals, if that means anything.
It would seem that the new requirement to achive a two-thirds vote to become Pope would make the new selection more challenging, and draw the timing of the conclave out. It would not surprise me to see the conclave last a week or longer.
*achieve
Why is Cardinal Mahony the head of the US delegation? Cardinal Rigali is older.
I was told that after 30 ballots they limit the voting to the top two candidates.
While that may be true, this article notes that:
This small group was not overjoyed by Benedict XVI’s election, and they lost influence under his pontificate. - snip - Under Benedict XVI, the old guard lost their control over the Secretariat of State, a blow they haven’t forgotten.
They can bloviate all they want. With his keen intuition and understanding, Pope Benedict anticipated such a reaction, hence the "surprise" November consistory which expanded the college and increased the presence of voting members from the East. B16 gets the last laugh.
Editorial: "Religious correspondents", "Vaticanists": don't know more about Conclave than us
During “Sede Vacante” what must priests say in the Eucharistic Prayer now that there is no Pope?
What is a [Catholic] Cardinal? A Basic Review of the College of Cardinals in History and Today
Benedict XVI's first night as Pope emeritus
Toward the Conclave. The Pressure on the Cardinals [Catholic Caucus]
Papal Apartments, Basilica Sealed for Sede Vacante
Update on Conclave Start Date
Cardinal Dolan: Pope Benedict 'fragile' on last day of papacy (good handling of msm)
Prayer for the Election of a New Pope
Interregnum Terms and Expressions, Q and A Format (Nuts & Bolts-current situation) [Catholic Caucus]
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