With less than 48 hours until the beginning of the conclave, the cardinals who will enter the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope discussed war, the need for dialogue and the role of the pope in fostering it.
With less than 48 hours until the beginning of the conclave, the cardinals who will enter the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope discussed war, the need for dialogue and the role of the pope in fostering it.
In the heart of Vatican City, the usually quiet Casa Santa Marta is abuzz with workers, engineers, and Vatican officials transforming the guesthouse that was the residence of Pope Francis into a secure, secluded place of lodging that would put Fort Knox to shame.
In preparation for the conclave, workers have placed a protective covering over the marble mosaic floors and started carrying in pipes, couplers and sheets of subflooring into the Sistine Chapel
As the College of Cardinals gathers in Rome for the conclave that will elect our next pope, the rest of us may feel like we have no real role to play in the process. And yet, that is absolutely not the case.
Filipino Catholics in the Diocese of Brooklyn are praying that when the white smoke emerges from the Sistine Chapel, it will be Cardinal Luis Tagle who walks out as Pope Francis’ successor.
The cardinals who have arrived in Rome to elect a new pope come from over 60 countries – including the United States.
The College of Cardinals confirmed that 135 members are eligible to participate in the conclave, the Vatican announced, and they asked the faithful to accompany them in prayer as they prepare to elect the next pope.
One by one, placing a right hand on the Book of Gospels, staff driving, cooking, cleaning and caring for the cardinals who will elect a new pope will swear an oath of perpetual secrecy about the election of the 267th successor of St. Peter.
The conclave that begins May 7 is expected to be the largest in history, with a wide geographical mix of cardinal-electors.
The cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel May 7 to elect a new pope use smoke signals to communicate with the outside world.