Sacred Heart of Jesus

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As the College of Cardinals continues to discuss the church's most pressing issues before the conclave, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said it was encouraged that protecting children and vulnerable people was a priority in those discussions.

In a statement published May 5, the commission called for prayers for the cardinals and said its members stand with "the People of God in a plea for discernment guided by the Holy Spirit -- and shaped by the cries of those harmed by abuse within the church."

"We pray for Cardinals who carry the grave responsibility of choosing the next successor of Peter, that they may be guided by courage, humility and a commitment to safeguarding," the statement read.

The issue of clerical sexual abuse was among the discussions at sever of the general congregation meetings, according to daily reports by Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office.

Bruni said a cardinal urged his brothers to face the issue "as a 'wound' to be kept 'open,' so that awareness of the problem remains alive and concrete paths for its healing can be identified." 

"We are heartened by the fact that the protection of children and vulnerable people from abuse have been a priority for the cardinals present in Rome in discussions leading up to the conclave," the commission said. "The church's credibility depends on real accountability, transparency and action rooted in justice."

Advocates for victims and survivors have expressed concern regarding several possible candidates to succeed Pope Francis, who died April 21, criticizing them for their records on handling abuse cases.

However, the presence of Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, the retired archbishop of Lima, at the general congregations drew heavy criticism. At 81, the cardinal is ineligible to vote at the conclave.

In January, following a report by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that disciplinary measures against Cardinal Cipriani were still in effect after he was accused of abusing an unnamed victim in 1983.

The Peruvian bishops' conference issued a statement in support of victims and called the restrictions on Cardinal Cipriani "a wise decision."

In an interview with El Pais, the cardinal's accuser expressed shock at his presence at the general congregation "because he was supposedly barred from public appearances."

By showing up at the meeting, the victim said, the cardinal was "mocking the church."

"The message is that the pope has died and the party is back," the victim said.

When asked April 30 about Cardinal Cipriani's presence at the pre-conclave meetings, Bruni said the apostolic constitution, "Universi Dominici Gregis" ("Shepherd of the Lord's Whole Flock"), made it clear that all cardinals, with the exception of those with impediments such as illness, were called to participate at the general congregations. 

The following is the text of the prayer released by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors:

Dear Lord,

Let your Holy Spirit descend upon the cardinals gathered in your name. As they prayerfully discern the successor of St. Peter, may they give priority to the safeguarding and protection of the people of God and the importance of effective policies and procedures.

May they contemplate their responsibility for the children, women and men who have been harmed in the life of the Church. May they not fail to fulfill the sacred mission of responsibility for the people of God. Holy Spirit, guide the hearts of those entrusted with discernment. Let no concern of scandal obscure the urgency of truth. Let no consideration for reputation impede our paramount responsibility to take action on behalf of those who have been abused.

Inspire our cardinals to be leaders for protection and safeguarding, defenders of the innocent, and advocates for the abused. Inspire a conversion to safeguarding to accountability, transparency and protection of the vulnerable. May they embrace the priority of accountability for rigorous policies and procedures and disciplinary measures.

We pray for the shepherds of evangelization and their responsibility to ensure transparency and justice for all those harmed in the life of the Church. Inspire them to accountability for safeguarding, protection and action in support of the people of God.

We pray that our cardinals uphold the trust placed in them. Lead them to be vigilant shepherds, defenders of the defenseless and true disciples of your Son, in whose name we pray.

Amen.
 

WASHINGTON – “Continue to speak the truth, and treat every human being with dignity,” said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) while hosting a meeting on May 1 with religious leaders from Ukraine. The USCCB welcomed representatives of The Ukrainian Council of the Churches of Religious Organizations (UCCRO) to Washington in a show of solidarity with their war-torn country.

The Ukrainian religious leaders spoke about indiscriminate bombing of churches, illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, and religious persecution in the occupied territories. They expressed great gratitude for the prayers and aid of the American people and asked for continued help with sharing the truth about what is happening in Ukraine. 

Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr said, “We really have felt the solidarity of the Church in the USA, and we never cease to pray for you. Now we are asking the Church to be on the side of the truth, and not to allow a false narrative to prevail in the current political climate. For us it is ‘war’ not a ‘conflict.’ This is one example of how we see things have shifted.” 

In response, Archbishop Broglio encouraged the Ukrainians to continue their authentic witness of Biblical values -- “to speak the truth, even when not politically expedient, respect fundamental human rights and treat every human person with dignity, even Russian prisoners of war.”

Another member of the delegation, Bishop Igor Bandura, deputy head of the All-Ukrainian Union of the Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, gave testimony to the power of prayer as “the most powerful weapon,” and asked for continued prayers.

The Kyiv-based council which includes Christians, Jews, and Muslims, was organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

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ROME (CNS) -- An AI-generated image of U.S. President Donald Trump dressed as the pope "was not good," Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York said in Rome.

"I hope he didn't have anything to do with that," he told reporters before he entered Our Lady of Guadalupe Church where he celebrated Mass May 4.

The picture, featuring Trump wearing a white cassock and miter traditionally worn by a pope, was first shared on the president's @realDonaldTrump account on TruthSocial.com and then shared by official White House social media accounts May 3. Trump had also told a reporter April 29, "I'd like to be pope."

Cardinal Dolan was asked if he was offended by the image. "Well, you know, it wasn't good. The Italians say, 'brutta figura,'" he said, meaning, it made a "bad impression."

The cardinal was celebrating Mass at his "titular" parish. When prelates are made cardinals, they are assigned a "titular" church in Rome, which makes them members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome.

The small church in the hilltop district of Monte Mario was full of parishioners, visitors and the press.

Msgr. Gianfranco Mammoli, the parish priest, thanked the cardinal for his visit and noted the importance of the day's Gospel reading (John 21:1-19) as the world's cardinals were gathered in Rome to choose the next pope. 

Jesus did not give Simon Peter clear directions on how to build or lead his church after his death and resurrection, Msgr. Mammoli said in his introductory remarks. All that Jesus said, was "Do you love me?"

In a few days, Cardinal Dolan and others will have the task of choosing the successor of Peter -- the leader of the universal church and the bishop of Rome, the monsignor said.

"Someone will be chosen, not because he is prepared," but because he loves Jesus with all his heart and will answer his call to follow Jesus and feed his sheep, he said.

In his homily, given in Italian, Cardinal Dolan asked everyone to pray for him and all the cardinals as they prepare to begin the conclave May 7 to choose the next pope. "I need the light of the Holy Spirit."

The cardinal focused his homily on the Gospel reading and how Jesus gathers his disciples to share a meal.

Every Sunday Mass is the people of God -- the Lord's disciples -- coming together to share a meal with the Lord, he said. It is a spiritual "meal" shared as a family with the Holy Mother Church.

Remarking that "Pope Francis loved to say and often would say to us priests" to keep homilies short, the cardinal said, "OK, that's it!" keeping his talk to under five minutes.

As the congregation laughed, Cardinal Dolan asked if their priest keeps his homilies brief, to which they said, "Yes!"

The cardinal processed to the back of the church and stood outside the front door so he could greet and chat with all the parishioners as they filed out. He answered questions, reminded people to pray for him, posed for selfies and invited people to come to New York City and visit him at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Meeting again with reporters after the Mass, he emphasized the importance of prayer, saying Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, told the cardinals to "make sure you ask the people to pray for us because we need it very, very much."

He said the cardinals are "still getting to know one another," and it helps that this is his second conclave.

When he participated as a 63-year-old, recently-elevated cardinal in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, he said he was "so nervous" and wasn't sure what to do.

"But now I feel kind of seasoned, a little more relaxed," he said.

"Will there be a Francis II," he was asked. "Let's hope so" because it is needed, he said.

When asked what characteristics he would like to see in the next pope, he said it was important the pope always smile and be simple, humble and good.

It would be nice to blend all the best characteristics of the last three popes, he said, including Pope Benedict XVI's "intense intellect" and St. John Paul II's "courage and his call to follow Jesus."

"I'm praying to St. Anthony" to find the one, he said.

Asked if he had already made a choice, he said he still had to think about it.

"But you only have two more days," a reporter said.

"That will be enough, don't you think?" he replied.
 

ROME (CNS) -- As Catholics in Rome await the election of their new bishop, the pope, some of them celebrated Sunday Mass at their parishes with the cardinals who will enter a conclave May 7.

When prelates are made cardinals, they are assigned a "titular" parish in Rome, which makes them members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome. In the early days of the church, the clergy of the diocese elected the pope.

Several cardinals chose to celebrate Mass at their titular churches May 4, the last Sunday before they enter the Sistine Chapel to begin voting for a new pope.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, was at St. Mary of the Graces Church where it was first Communion Sunday. There were prayers for the late Pope Francis, for Cardinal Tobin and for the new pope, but the focus was solidly on the children. 

The cardinal and his priest secretary arrived at the parish by subway. Wearing a clerical suit with his pectoral cross tucked in his pocket, no one recognized him, he said.

Outside the church, journalists did know who he was and asked him how the pre-conclave meetings were going. "There is a growing consensus about the qualities needed for the next Holy Father, but not names. A lot depends on the Holy Spirit."

Still, he was predicting a fairly short conclave "because the majority of cardinals, including me, are diocesan bishops and we need to get back."

Cardinal Tobin said there is a desire "to have continuity" with the papacy of Pope Francis, but not an "exact" replica. "There is no going back," he added.

Father Antonio Fois, the pastor, welcomed Cardinal Tobin "home" to his Rome parish. "In a few days, you and your brother cardinals will elect the new bishop of Rome. And we pray for you and with you that you will choose a pastor with the heart of Jesus."

In his homily, Cardinal Tobin focused mainly on his "little brothers and sisters" who were about to receive Communion for the first time, and he prayed that their encounter with the risen Lord, who gives himself in the Eucharist, would lead them, like St. Peter in the day's Gospel, to respond, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Cardinal Tobin told the children that he was the eldest of 13 children and every day after school he and his friends would be playing ball in the street. "At a certain point, mom would come to the door with good news: 'Dinner's ready.'" 

It was good news, he said, "not only because we were hungry," but thinking about it more deeply, it also meant that it was time to gather around the table as a family. "It was a big table with a lot of people around it and a lot of noise, but we were a family."

Jesus gathered his disciples and gathers believers today around a table, the cardinal said, "not only to nourish us but to show us that God wants to be with us, God wants to remain with us, God wants us to leave behind despair and discover the joy of being a family."

In the announcements before Mass ended, Father Fois asked parishioners to join a special recitation of the rosary and Mass at noon May 8, the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii.

During the services the day after the conclave begins, he said, "We will pray in thanksgiving for the new pope or pray that they will give us a good bishop of Rome soon."
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the Sistine Chapel usually top the "must see" list of visitors to Rome and the Vatican.

But as 133 of the world's cardinals prepared to enter the conclave May 7 to elect the new pope, the Sistine Chapel was closed to visitors April 28.

In preparation for the conclave, workers placed a protective covering over the marble mosaic floors and started carrying in pipes, couplers and sheets of subflooring. 

The chapel is the highlight of most tours of the Vatican Museums and close to 7 million people visit each year, especially to see the ceiling Michelangelo painted between 1508 and 1512 and the massive wall fresco of the Last Judgment he painted between 1535 and 1541.

As documented by the Vatican Media video team beginning April 28, the din of tourists, constantly reminded that it is a chapel and they must whisper, was replaced with the sounds of hammering and sawing, the ping of metal couplings hitting metal couplings and the thud of the subfloor being laid.

The new floors and a few ramps, set on top of mini-scaffolding, will eliminate most steps and make the chapel more accessible for the cardinals, whose average age is over 70. Rows of tables and chairs will be added along the north and south walls so that the cardinals face each other. The tables closest to the walls will be raised slightly so that the cardinals in the back have a clear view. 

While photographers, and tourists with a keen eye, watched from St. Peter's Square as Vatican firefighters installed a chimney on the chapel roof May 2, Vatican Media photographers documented what was happening inside.

Two stoves, connected by a copper pipe, were installed: one to burn ballots and the other to burn chemicals to create either dark black or bright white smoke to let the public know if a pope was elected or not. 

Before the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, the ballots were burned with wet or dry straw, which produced the right color, but never really created enough smoke to offer a clear signal.

Maintaining secrecy is part of the cardinals' oath, so technicians will sweep the chapel for electronic surveillance or recording devices before the conclave.

Before the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, then-Vatican spokesman, told reporters that jamming devices are used to disable cellphone signals, but that they are not installed under the false flooring as often is reported.

In 2003, two years before his death, St. John Paul II reflected on his experiences in the Sistine Chapel in a series of poems "Roman Triptych."

He wrote about the two conclaves of 1978 -- the first that elected Pope John Paul I and then the conclave that elected him. 

"It is here, at the feet of this marvelous Sistine profusion of color that the Cardinals gather -- a community responsible for the legacy of the keys of the Kingdom," St. John Paul wrote. "They come right here. And once more Michelangelo wraps them in his vision."

That vision, he wrote, begins with the "creating hand" of God giving life to Adam and ends with the Last Judgment. But it also includes Jesus telling St. Peter in Matthew 16:19: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

"It is necessary that during the Conclave, Michelangelo teach them," the late pope wrote. "Do not forget: 'Omnia nuda et aperta sunt ante oculos Eius' ('All things are laid bare and open before his eyes'). You who see all -- point to him! He will point him out."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As the Catholic Church elects a new pope, a cardinal reminded his fellow electors that true Christian leadership begins not in control, but in surrender to mystery.

"We so often feel like masters of God, perfect knowers of the truth, while we are only pilgrims to whom the Word has been given," said Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, former prefect of Dicastery for Eastern Churches, during a memorial Mass for Pope Francis May 2.

In his homily, the Italian cardinal warned against reducing God to human categories, pointing to the idea deeply rooted in Eastern Christianity that God is ultimately beyond comprehension. "Contemplation of the incomprehensible," he said, reminds believers that even the greatest theologians -- like St. Thomas Aquinas in the West -- could speak only of what God is not, rather than define what God is.

Cardinal Gugerotti celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica with cardinals and representatives from the Eastern Churces on the seventh day of the "novendiali" -- nine days of mourning for Pope Francis marked by Masses.

Calling on the church to remain attentive to the cries of creation and of suffering humanity, Cardinal Gugerotti lamented that "creation and the human person seem to have so little value today."

Some parts of the church however, such as in Africa, are attentive to the beauty of creation around them, "because new life is for their peoples an inestimable value."

He described creation as a "companion on the journey of humanity" and recalled how Pope Francis often insisted that caring for the earth and for the poor are inseparable tasks. Creation "asks for solidarity from the human race," the cardinal said, "so that it may be respected and healed."

Reflecting on the legacy of Pope Francis, he said the late pope "taught us to gather the cry of violated life, to assume it and present it to the Father, but also to work to concretely alleviate the pain that this cry evokes."

At times, he said, a wounded humanity struggles even to voice its need for God. 

"This desperate humanity, in its cry, finds it difficult to express prayer and invocation to the God of life," the cardinal said. In such moments, the Holy Spirit gives voice to what the human heart cannot articulate, transforming "our rocky silences and unexpressed tears into an invocation to our God with inexpressible groanings."

Cardinal Gugerotti said this interior prayer -- silent but powerful -- must guide the church through its mourning and discernment. "In this Eucharist we intend to join, as we can and know how, the inexpressible groaning of the Spirit that cries out to God what is pleasing to him," he said.

The cardinal also praised the witness of Eastern Catholic communities present at the Mass, many of whom have faced persecution, war or exile. Though diminished in number, he said, "they remain firmly attached to a sense of catholicity that does not exclude but indeed implies the recognition of their specificity."

Their liturgical and spiritual traditions, he noted, "enrich the church with the variety of their experiences, their cultures, but above all their very rich spirituality."

As the cardinals prepare to enter the conclave May 7, Cardinal Gugerotti closed his homily by invoking the Holy Spirit through a 10th-century Eastern prayer by St. Symeon the New Theologian:

"Come, true light; come, eternal life; come, hidden mystery, so that, seeing you forever I, who am dead, may live."

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ROME (CNS) -- The rules and rituals for the election of a new pope say that immediately after his election, he goes into the sacristy of the Sistine Chapel and puts on "the garments that are appropriate to him."

That's all that is written.

For more than 100 year that meant that the Gammarelli family's clerical tailor shop near the Pantheon in Rome had already sent to the Vatican three white wool cassocks -- large, medium and small -- with an attached capelet.

But Lorenzo Gammarelli, who now runs the shop with three cousins, told Agence France-Presse April 24 that they will not be sending the customary three cassocks to the Vatican ahead of the conclave scheduled to begin May 7.

"We were told by the Vatican that they have taken care of it," he told AFP, explaining that he believes the vestments for the new pope would "be those of the previous conclaves, because each time we made three robes, and they used only one."

Not receiving an order has not stopped Raniero Mancinelli, though. 

From his tailor and religious goods shop in the Borgo Pio, near the Vatican, he told Catholic News Service May 2 that he has sewn vestments for Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II, and he was preparing the set of three -- small, medium and large -- just in case.

He is sizing for the next pope's girth, not height, he said, because when the new pope appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica no one will notice how long the cassock is. "Later, the right size will be made."

Mancinelli said he would deliver the lightweight wool cassocks, with appropriately calibrated sashes and white zucchettos, or skullcaps, to the Vatican liturgy office before the conclave begins.

He's been a tailor for some 70 years, since he was 15 years old.

The tailor said he once tried to persuade Pope Francis to let him make a pair of white or cream-colored trousers, since the pope's black slacks were often visible beneath his cassock, especially in bright sunlight. "But he told me he was fine with the way it was." 

Mancinelli is one of the few people working near the Vatican who is not thinking about which cardinal might be elected.

When he is sewing, he said, he does not have a specific person in mind and is not "dreaming" of who might wear his garment.

"I do my work with passion, I like it, and I concentrate on the work, not the person," he said, adding that focus is especially important when handling papal garments because they are white and easy to stain.

Because the three garments were not an order, Mancinelli said they will be a gift, one he is offering "very gladly because serving the church is a great honor for me."
 

New pope clothes: Small, medium or large?

On Borgo Pio, the cobblestoned street just outside the Vatican, shops are full of clerical clothing. But one tailor is focused on something more specific: white cassocks for the next pope.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As the Catholic Church's cardinals prepare to elect a new pope, they must be wary of "elegant speeches" that hide a subtle cruelty toward the poor and vulnerable, said the Vatican's former doctrinal chief.

Celebrating a memorial Mass for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica May 1, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, former prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned that disrespect for the poor can be expressed not only in openly "cruel and vain" terms, but also in refined language.

"Those words" -- such as calling the poor "lazy," he said -- "are also found hidden behind other, more elegant speeches."

Cardinal Fernández celebrated Mass with cardinals on the sixth day of the "novendiali" -- nine days of mourning for Pope Francis marked by Masses. The cardinals did not gather for their general congregation meetings earlier in the day since May 1 is a holiday for Vatican City State to observe the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. It also is the equivalent of Labor Day in Italy and many other countries.

With members of the Roman Curia were seated in the front rows, the cardinal said that distorted ideas of merit and success -- what Pope Francis denounced as "false meritocracy" -- risk obscuring the Gospel truth of human dignity.

"False meritocracy," the cardinal said, "leads us to think that only those who have succeeded in life are worthy." Instead, through his ministry, Pope Francis "launched a prophetic cry against this false idea," he said, rejecting a view that sees failure as a moral fault and success as proof of virtue.

Reflecting on the life and message of Pope Francis just days before the cardinals begin the process of choosing his successor, Cardinal Fernández pointed to the late pope's insistence that every person, regardless of status or background, possesses an "immense dignity that is never lost, that in no way can be ignored or forgotten."

He recalled Pope Francis' belief that authentic help for the poor cannot stop at material aid, rather their dignity must be "promoted" by developing their God-given gifts and allowing them to support themselves.

"It is not enough to give things," the cardinal said. "Every person must be able to earn their bread with the gifts God has given them."

In this context, he said, labor is not simply an economic necessity but a path toward full human development. "Work," he said, quoting the late pope, "is the best help for a poor person."

Addressing his fellow cardinals and Vatican officials gathered in the basilica, Cardinal Fernández said the responsibilities of work apply to them as well. 

"We are workers who follow a schedule, who fulfill tasks entrusted to us, who must be responsible and make efforts and sacrifices in our obligations," he said. "The responsibility of work for us in the Curia is also a journey of maturation and fulfillment as Christians."

Concelebrating the Mass with Cardinal Fernández at the altar were four other cardinals who were senior officials of the Roman Curia under Pope Francis. 

The cardinal closed his homily by recalling Pope Francis not just as a teacher of the dignity of work, but as someone who lived it. 

"Even with very little strength in his final days, he found the strength to visit a prison," he said. 

The cardinal noted how Pope Francis famously never took a vacation, saying, "His daily work was his response to God's love, an expression of his concern for the good of others, and for these reasons work itself was his joy, his nourishment, his rest."

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The conclave to elect a new pope, scheduled to begin May 7, is governed by two texts: a rule book and a prayer book.

The rule book is the apostolic constitution, "Universi Dominici Gregis" ("Shepherd of the Lord's Whole Flock"), which was issued by St. John Paul II in 1996 and amended by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and again in 2013.

The prayer book is the "Ordo Rituum Conclavis" ("Rites of the Conclave"), which was approved by St. John Paul II in 1998, but not released until after his death in 2005. If Pope Francis made any adjustments to the rites, they had not been announced as of April 30.

The "Ordo Rituum Conclavis," which has prayers in Latin with an Italian translation, begins by noting that the election of a pope "is prepared for and takes place with liturgical actions and constant prayer." 

The rites of the conclave begin with the public Mass "for the election of the Roman pontiff," which was to be celebrated at 10 a.m. May 7 in St. Peter's Basilica. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will be the main celebrant.

According to the "Ordo," Cardinal Re will begin by praying: "O God, eternal pastor, you who govern your people with a father's care, give your church a pontiff acceptable to you for his holiness of life and wholly consecrated to the service of your people."

The Mass for the election of the pope is the only rite in the book to be celebrated publicly before the new pope is presented to the world.

After celebrating the morning Mass, the rule book calls for the cardinals to gather in the late afternoon in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and then process into the Sistine Chapel. 

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the highest-ranking member of the College of Cardinals who is under the age of 80 and eligible to enter the conclave, addresses the cardinals: "After having celebrated the divine mysteries, we now enter into conclave to elect the Roman pontiff. The whole church, united with us in prayer, invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we elect a worthy pastor of the entire flock of Christ."

In a procession behind the cross, the cardinals walk into the Sistine Chapel singing a litany of saints of the East and West and a series of invocations to Christ with the refrain, "Save us, Lord."

When everyone is in his place in the chapel, the cardinals chant the ancient invocation of the Holy Spirit, "Veni, Creator Spiritus."

The cardinals then take an oath to "faithfully and scrupulously observe" the rules for electing a pope. Each swears that if he is elected, he will "faithfully fulfill the Petrine ministry as pastor of the universal church and will strenuously affirm and defend the spiritual and temporal rights as well as the freedom of the Holy See."

They also promise to keep everything having to do with the election secret.

When the last cardinal has placed his hand on the Book of the Gospels and sworn the oath, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Vatican master of liturgical ceremonies, says: "Extra omnes," ordering all those not directly involved in the conclave out of the Sistine Chapel. 

During their general congregation meetings, the cardinals selected Italian Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, retired preacher of the papal household who at 90 is not eligible to vote in the conclave, to remain inside the chapel to offer a reflection on their responsibilities in electing a new pope.

After the meditation, he and Archbishop Ravelli will leave the chapel.

The cardinals decide together whether they will cast one ballot the first evening; traditionally they have done so, burning the ballots with a chemical additive that produces black smoke pouring from the Sistine Chapel chimney.

After that, two ballots can be cast each morning and two each afternoon until a candidate garners two-thirds of the votes. On the fourth day, if no one has been elected, the cardinals pause for extended prayer.

Each day of the conclave, the cardinals recite morning and evening prayer together and concelebrate Mass. They have time for prayer before each ballot is cast and before the ballots are counted.

As each cardinal places his vote in an urn on a table in front of Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgment, he promises that his vote was cast for the candidate he believes deserves to be elected.

If the first ballot of the morning or of the afternoon session does not result in an election, a second vote begins immediately, and the two ballots are burned together. 

When someone reaches the two-thirds threshold -- 89 votes if, as reported, 133 cardinals enter the conclave -- he will be asked by Cardinal Parolin, "Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?"

Neither the "Ordo" nor the rule book provides a formula for the assent and neither recognizes the possibility that the person elected will refuse. The second question asked is: "With what name do you wish to be called?"

If the elected man already is a bishop, once he accepts the office, he "immediately is the bishop of the church of Rome, the true pope and head of the college of bishops; he acquires full and supreme power over the universal church."

The ballots, along with the cardinals' notes or running tallies of the votes, are burned with a chemical additive to produce white smoke and announce to the world that there has been a successful election.

The cardinals approach the new pope and pay homage to him, then sing the "Te Deum" hymn of thanks to God.

Then the senior cardinal deacon, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, prefect of the Apostolic Signature, the Holy See's highest court, goes to the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and declares to the public, "Habemus papam" ("We have a pope"). 

WASHINGTON – Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of the Diocese of Victoria, the bishop-promoter of Stella Maris in the United States, will commemorate National Maritime Day and the Catholic Church’s observation of the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea on May 22. The maritime apostolate for the Catholic Church that serves those who work or travel on the high seas and work in ports is known as “Stella Maris” (Star of the Sea). 

The men and women who make their living working on the seas include merchants, sailors, seafarers, fishermen, port personnel and many others in the maritime industry whose work is vital to global commerce. The work of seafarers ensures that raw materials, food, medicines and countless other products are transported to keep the global economy moving.

The nature of maritime work means they are not always a visible presence in the community, and seafarers make great sacrifices with their families to carry out their work. Stella Maris chaplains, deacons and lay ministers serve at ports across the United States to welcome them and be a network of support for them and their families. 

“On National Maritime Day, we thank our brothers and sisters who work as seafarers for their dedication. We also seek the intercession of Our Lady, Star of the Sea -- that she protect and guide those in this important industry that is vital to global commerce,” said Bishop Cahill. 

Commemoration in the Dioceses

In commemoration of National Maritime Day, Bishop Cahill is encouraging dioceses in the United States to remember seafarers during Mass. Dioceses may also wish to consider holding events to support and thank seafarers and raise public awareness of the contributions they make to our country.  

Commemoration in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Cahill will celebrate the Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at 12:10 p.m. in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (400 Michigan Ave. NE; Washington, D.C.  20017)

Jubilee Year 2025

Pope Francis has designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as “Pilgrims of Hope.” The Vatican has appointed the Italian naval ship Amerigo Vespucci, as a Jubilee church and pilgrimage site, providing seafarers the opportunity to be part of the Holy Year celebrations. A pilgrimage to the ship will allow the faithful to gain a plenary indulgence during the Jubilee Year. Read more about the Amerigo Vespucci from Catholic News Service in Rome: https://catholicreview.org/chapel-onboard-historic-italian-naval-ship-designated-a-jubilee-church/. 

For more information on the ministry of Stella Maris, please visit: https://www.usccb.org/stellamaris.

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