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Jolie Rouge
04-18-2005, 07:32 PM
Black Smoke Signals No New Pope Elected
By WILLIAM J. KOLE

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Black smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel's chimney Monday evening, signaling that the cardinals sequestered inside for the first papal conclave of the new millennium failed to elect a new pope.

The black smoke meant the 115 voting cardinal ``princes'' of the church would retire for the night and return to the chapel Tuesday morning for more balloting in their search for a successor to Pope John Paul II.

If two morning ballots fail to produce a pope, the cardinals could hold two more votes Tuesday afternoon.

Some 40,000 people who packed St. Peter's Square to stare at the stovepipe jutting from the chapel roof shouted, ``It's black! It's black!'' and snapped photos with their cell phones.


The cardinals, from six continents and representing 52 countries, began their secret deliberations late in the afternoon after the ceremonial closing of the massive doors of the chapel, which is decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo and wired with electronic jamming devices to thwart eavesdropping.



04/18/05 14:15

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20050418/1415993011.htm&ewp=ewp_news_0405conclave_history




Tuesday, Apr. 19 2005

How Do They Elect a New Pope? [New Advent]
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11456a.htm

Papal Apartment Is Sealed Until Occupied by Next Pope [Catholic Net]
http://www.catholic.net/global_catholic_news/template_channel.phtml?channel_id=2

What Happens Next? 'Vacancy of the Holy See' [Catholic Online]
http://www.catholic.org/clife/pope/new_pope4.php

History of Conclaves: Pope Selection Not Always Pretty [New Advent]
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04192a.htm

Cardinals Discussing and Analyzing Church's Situation [Catholic Net]
http://www.catholic.net/global_catholic_news/template_news.phtml?channel_id=2&news_id=69117

Jolie Rouge
04-18-2005, 07:41 PM
Four votes set as conclave resumes
Cardinals send up black smoke after no agreement in first poll
Monday, April 18, 2005


VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- The 115 cardinals taking part in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II will convene at the Vatican for the second day on Tuesday with up to four votes scheduled.

Locked away in the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals let it be known that no candidate won their first vote Monday evening, hours after a historic religious ceremony watched around the world.

Beginning Tuesday, a Mass will be held in the cardinals' living quarters each day at 7:30 a.m. (1:30 a.m. EDT), and they will assemble in the chapel by 9 a.m. Two votes will take place in the morning and two more in the afternoon, beginning at 4 p.m.

After the votes of the morning and the votes of the afternoon, the ballots are burned in a stove at the Sistine Chapel, with the color of the smoke announcing to observers outside whether a pope has been elected.

The ballots from the morning votes will probably be burned about noon, and the ballots from the afternoon will go up in smoke around 7 p.m., Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.

As black smoke billowed Monday from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, the crowd of thousands outside cheered. (Full story)

"It was very exciting," said Richard Wall, an American in the crowd. "We had some drama tonight."

At first, the smoke's color appeared gray -- and some thought it may have been white, which would signal that a new pontiff was chosen. But it quickly turned black. Also, John Paul II had decreed that white smoke be accompanied by the ringing of bells, to avoid a repeat of the confusion after his election in 1978.

The smoke, shown live on TV networks around the world, was emitted shortly after 8 p.m., about two-and-a-half hours after the chapel's doors were closed, marking the beginning of the conclave.

The closing of those large wooden doors ended an hour-long ritual that the Vatican televised live for the first time ever.

Oath of secrecy
Clad in crimson robes, shoulder capes and hats, the 115 cardinals from 52 countries walked from the Hall of Blessings into the Sistine Chapel as "The Litany of Saints" was sung.

Once the cardinals were inside, a choir and the cardinals themselves sang the invocation of the Holy Spirit, "Veni, Creator Spiritus."

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is dean of the College of Cardinals and is considered a leading candidate for pope, recited a prayer and a message that included these words: "After having celebrated the divine mysteries, we now enter into conclave to elect the Roman pontiff, the whole church united with us in prayer."

Ratzinger led the group in an oath of secrecy, and each cardinal individually stepped up to a Book of Gospels, placed his hand on it and took another similar oath.

The cardinals also vowed to follow the rules listed by Pope John Paul II in the "Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis," which laid out specific steps for the electoral process, including seclusion "in suitable places" within the Vatican and the use of secret ballots.

At the end, the master of the Pontifical Liturgical Celebration said "extra omnes" -- meaning "everyone out" -- signaling those not participating in the conclave to leave the Sistine Chapel. He then closed the doors, and the televised broadcast came to an end.

The cardinals then had a private meditation and one of them gave a speech before the ballots were handed out.

If the Vatican's plans succeed, there will be no indication of how the deliberations proceed, or who may be surfacing as leading "papabile," or candidates, before a new pontiff is selected.

The term conclave means "with a key" -- meaning the process takes place behind lock and key.

To win, a candidate needs two-thirds of the votes. If three days pass with no pope chosen, the cardinals will take a day of reflection and prayer before resuming balloting. And, under rules established by John Paul II, if no one has the required two-thirds majority after about 12 days, the cardinals can switch to a simple majority.

Speculation rife
There has been a great deal of speculation about who may be chosen to succeed John Paul II, who died April 2 at the age of 84, but cardinals have been mum.

Some taking part in the conclave said they are looking for a leader who presents a hopeful vision, who can "generate some dynamism and some optimism within Catholicism," CNN Vatican analyst John Allen said.

The first clues to the process of finding a successor were sought during the homily or sermon delivered by Ratzinger at Monday's public Mass.

"Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism," Ratzinger said.

Allen said Ratzinger delivered a "very blunt" message for the church to "stay true to itself."

That was a strong indication that Ratzinger, 78, wants a "traditionalist" elected the next pope, Allen said.

John Paul was widely credited with extending the reach of the papacy. He spoke more than a dozen languages and set an unprecedented pattern of pastoral travel, drawing huge crowds all over the world.

He was also strictly traditional on issues of sexuality and the role of women in the church, which won him support among some Catholics but alienated others. Similar disagreement exists over the next pontiff's stances on issues such as birth control, stem cell research and the ordination of female priests.

The conclave will select the man who will be the 265th pontiff, although he will be the 263rd person to hold the post. One man, Benedict IX, served as pontiff three separate times nearly a millennium ago.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/18/pope.tuesday/index.html

schsa
04-19-2005, 07:55 AM
The white smoke went up this morning. Now we have to wait for the final announcement.

Jolie Rouge
04-19-2005, 10:48 AM
4/19/2005 3:16 PM

Germany's Ratzinger elected 265th pope
From staff and wire reports

VATICAN CITY — Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and a high-profile conservative, Tuesday was elected the 265th pope of the Catholic Church and chose the name Benedict XVI.

"After the great John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord," Ratzinger told tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, who cheered his every word. "The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers," the new pope said.

The crowd responded by chanting "Benedict! Benedict!"

Ratzinger, who turned 78 Saturday, is the first German pope since the 11th century. "The Lord will help us, and Mary, his most holy mother, will be at our side," Ratzinger told those gathered in the square.

He has served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In that position, he has disciplined church dissidents and upheld church policy against attempts by liberals for reforms.


The new pope had gone into the conclave with the most buzz among two dozen leading candidates. He had impressed many faithful with his stirring homily at the funeral of John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84.

Ratzinger's election came on the second ballot of the College of Cardinals, who began meeting in secret Monday to select the new pope. It was one of the fastest elections in the past century: Pope Pius XII was elected in 1939 in three ballots on one day, while Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978 in four ballots in one day. John Paul II's successor was elected after either four or five ballots over two days. "Dear brothers and sisters, I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope," Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estivez, the senior deacon of the College of Cardinals, told pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in announcing the news He made the announcement about 6:40 p.m. Rome time.

White smoke poured from a chimney at the Vatican at 5:49 p.m. ET in Room (11:49 a.m. ET) and bells tolled on Tuesday evening, announcing to the world that a new pope was elected in the first papal conclave of the new millennium.

It was one of the fastest elections in the past century: Pope Pius XII was elected in 1939 in three ballots on one day, while Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978 in four ballots in one day. John Paul II's successor was elected after either four or five ballots over two days.

More pilgrims poured into St. Peter's Square, and the bells kept ringing 10 minutes after the original tolling. Pilgrims said the rosary as they awaited the name of the new pope, and prelates stood on the roof of the Apostolic Palace, watching as the crowd nearly doubled.

Crowds in St. Peter's Square chanted: "Viva il Papa!" or "Long live the pope!"

The Vatican later announced that Ratzinger's inauguration Mass will be held Sunday morning. "It's only been 24 hours, surprising how fast he was elected," Vatican Radio said, commenting on how the new pope was elected on the second day of the conclave, after just four or five ballots.

As the announcement came, the atmosphere in St. Peter's Square was festive. There was some confusion among the crowd at first as to whether the smoke coming from a Vatican chimney was white, but the bells that rang about 10 minutes later — a signal the Vatican added for the election of this pope — cleared up any doubt.

"It's amazing to be here and part of history. I'm Catholic so when I heard those bells I was completely stunned and amazed that I'd be present for the arrival of a new pope," said Michael Fallat of Pittsburgh, who is studying in Rome for three months. "All I care is that he's a good one."

Rich Grosso of Evansville, Ind., traveling in Rome with extended family on vacation, said "I'm ecstatic. He was John Paul II's right-hand man. I was pulling for him with all my heart. He will keep with the traditions of John Paul II and follow in Christ's beliefs."

Ratzinger's age clearly was a factor among cardinals who favored a "transitional" pope who could skillfully lead the church as it absorbs John Paul II's legacy, rather than a younger cardinal who could wind up with another long pontificate. The new pope is the oldest elected since Clement XII, who was chosen in 1730 at 78 but was three months older than Ratzinger.

Cardinals also had faced a choice over whether to seek a younger, dynamic pastor and communicator — perhaps from Latin America or elsewhere in the developing world where the church is growing.

The 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church succeeds John Paul II, who gained extraordinary popularity over a 26-year pontificate, history's third-longest papacy. Millions mourned him around the world in a tribute to his charisma.

Cardinals had faced a choice over whether to seek an older, skilled administrator who could serve as a "transitional" pope while the church absorbs John Paul's legacy, or a younger dynamic pastor and communicator — perhaps from Latin America or elsewhere in the developing world where the church is growing.

While John Paul, a Pole, was elected to challenge the communist system in place in Eastern Europe in 1978, the new pontiff faces new issues: the need for dialogue with Islam, the divisions between the wealthy north and the poor south as well as problems within his own church.


These include the priest sex-abuse scandals that have cost the church millions in settlements in the United States and elsewhere; coping with a chronic shortage of priests and nuns in the West; and halting the stream of people leaving a church indifferent to teachings they no longer find relevant.

Under John Paul, the church's central authority grew, often to the dismay of bishops and rank-and-file Catholics around the world.

Even though John Paul appointed all but two of the men who elected the new pope, it was no guarantee that the new man would necessarily be in his mold. But Ratzinger was one of John Paul's closest allies.

Ratzinger's age did not appear to be an issue, and older popes have left important imprints on the church. Pope John XXIII was 77 when he was elected pope in 1958 and viewed as a transitional figure, but he called the Second Vatican Council that revolutionized the church from within and opened up its dialogue with non-Catholics.

Ratzinger will have to decide whether to keep up the kind of foreign travel that was a hallmark of John Paul's papacy, with his 104 pilgrimages abroad. He may be locked into one foreign trip — the mid-August Catholic youth day gathering in Cologne, Germany. John Paul had agreed to visit and organizers have already spent millions of dollars in preparations.

Contributing: USA TODAY's Noelle Knox and Marco della Cava, USATODAY.com's Randy Lilleston and the Associated Press.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-04-19-newpope_x.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno


ABOUT JOSEPH RATZINGER

Full name: Joseph Alois Ratzinger. Age: 78; born April 16, 1927, in Marktl Am Inn, a town in Bavaria, Germany. He is the son of a policeman and a hotel cook.

Background: Ratzinger was ordained a priest at age 24 in 1951, the year he finished his doctoral dissertation in theology at the University of Munich. Pope Paul VI appointed him bishop of Munich in 1977, and elevated him to cardinal in just three months.

Leadership: He took over as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in 1981. One of Pope John Paul's closest advisers, Ratzinger became dean of the College of Cardinals in 2002.

Interests: Enjoys classical and sacred music and reportedly is a first-class pianist.

schsa
04-19-2005, 11:00 AM
At 78 I wonder how long he will live. And then they can vote in the younger more dynamic Pope.

Jolie Rouge
04-19-2005, 11:25 AM
At 78 I wonder how long he will live. And then they can vote in the younger more dynamic Pope.


Ratzinger's age clearly was a factor among cardinals who favored a "transitional" pope who could skillfully lead the church as it absorbs John Paul II's legacy, rather than a younger cardinal who could wind up with another long pontificate. The new pope is the oldest elected since Clement XII, who was chosen in 1730 at 78 but was three months older than Ratzinger.

Cardinals also had faced a choice over whether to seek a younger, dynamic pastor and communicator — perhaps from Latin America or elsewhere in the developing world where the church is growing.

The 265th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church succeeds John Paul II, who gained extraordinary popularity over a 26-year pontificate, history's third-longest papacy. Millions mourned him around the world in a tribute to his charisma.

Cardinals had faced a choice over whether to seek an older, skilled administrator who could serve as a "transitional" pope while the church absorbs John Paul's legacy, or a younger dynamic pastor and communicator — perhaps from Latin America or elsewhere in the developing world where the church is growing.

The Cardinal from South America is young enough to asend to the Papacy after Benedict XVI passes on ....

excuseme
04-20-2005, 04:23 AM
The Cardinal from South America is young enough to asend to the Papacy after Benedict XVI passes on ....

He's also just as conservative and opposed to change as this one is.

Jolie Rouge
04-20-2005, 10:09 AM
The Cardinal from South America is young enough to asend to the Papacy after Benedict XVI passes on ....

He's also just as conservative and opposed to change as this one is.


Well, you have clearly studied the Cardinals more than I; I didn't even know who Ratzinger was until yesterday.

Jolie Rouge
04-20-2005, 07:00 PM
A defender of doctrine takes a conciliator's name
April 20, 2005


Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, elected as the first new pope of the third millennium, assumes office as the church's personification of devotion to orthodox dogma and rigid morality. But at the same time, he assumed a papal name - Benedict - last associated with Vatican reforms and outreach to others.

In facing daunting challenges in Catholicism itself and in the world at large, the new pope will need to fill the dual roles of definer of doctrine and global ambassador.

As head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith for 23 years, Ratzinger, 78, silenced dissident theologians and reiterated established teachings on a wide range of issues, delighting church conservatives and frustrating those hoping for change. In a homily preceding the conclave that elected him, he again decried "moving toward a dictatorship of relativism."

In calling himself Benedict XVI, Ratzinger is reviving a name last used nearly a century ago. Benedict XV subtly repudiated the strict Vatican orthodoxy of his predecessor, was credited with settling animosity between traditionalists and modernists and dreamed of reunion with Orthodox Christians.

Within the church, Benedict XVI confronts an institution dealing with widespread disaffection in its ranks. In his native Germany and Western Europe, church attendance has dwindled sharply and few are entering the priesthood. In the United States, even while praising Pope John Paul II, who died this month, millions ignore church teachings on birth control, abortion and myriad other issues. Sexual-abuse and cover-up scandals in the United States and other countries undercut the authority of many bishops. Evangelical Protestant movements are attracting record numbers of adherents in traditionally Catholic Latin America; confrontation with Islam is occurring in Africa.


In the world broadly, Benedict XVI faces leaders who don't share the church's strongly voiced opposition to war or its calls for economic justice and defense of human rights. Technological developments in medicine, such as stem-cell research and unprecedented ability to prolong the end of life, raise vexing new moral issues.


And he has a very tough act to follow. John Paul charmed Catholics and non-Catholics alike with his charismatic style and his unprecedented outreach not only to other Christians, but to Jews, Muslims and others. In a document in 2000, Ratzinger branded other Christian churches as deficient - seeming to undercut ecumenical dialogues that have been underway with Protestants for decades.

That is, of course, mostly a matter for Catholics to judge. But at a time when religious fervor increasingly drives violent conflict, the voice of the world's most visible religious leader carries farther. If, as his name implies, Benedict can promote tolerance of differing views, no matter the intensity of his own, he will serve people of all faiths.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=679&ncid=742&e=1&u=/usatoday/20050420/cm_usatoday/adefenderofdoctrinetakesaconciliatorsname