Cardinals Electing Next Pope Begin Processing Into Sistine Chapel To Open The Conclave | rssama.com

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Catholic cardinals are filing into nan Sistine Chapel for nan commencement of nan conclave to elite a caller pope to travel Pope Francis.

As they processed into nan chapel adorned pinch Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement,” nan 133 cardinals chanted nan meditative “Litany of nan Saints.” A statement of Swiss Guards stood astatine attention.

The hymn implores nan saints to thief nan cardinals find a caller leader of nan 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — With each nan pomp, play and solemnity that nan Catholic Church tin muster, 133 cardinals connected Wednesday began centuries-old rituals to elite a successor to Pope Francis, celebrating a greeting Mass earlier opening nan astir geographically divers conclave successful nan faith’s 2,000-year history.

The dean of nan College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided complete nan service, urging nan voters to group speech each individual interests and find a pope who prizes unity. The world coming needs a leader who tin awaken consciences, he said.

From nan altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, Re prayed that nan cardinals tin work together “on nan pope that our clip needs,” arsenic he offered a last group of marching orders earlier they participate nan Sistine Chapel later Wednesday to statesman nan concealed voting.

Hailing from 70 countries, nan cardinals are being sequestered from nan extracurricular world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves astir nan Vatican jammed to forestall each communications until they find a caller leader for nan 1.4 billion-member church.

Francis named 108 of nan 133 “princes of nan church,” choosing galore pastors successful his image from far-flung countries for illustration Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had ne'er had a cardinal before.

His determination to surpass nan accustomed limit of 120 cardinal electors and see younger ones from nan “global south” — often marginalized countries pinch little economical clout — has injected an unusual grade of uncertainty successful a process that is ever afloat of enigma and suspense, pinch fume signals telling nan world if a pope has been elected aliases not.

Many cardinals hadn’t met 1 different until past week and lamented they needed much clip to get to cognize each another, raising questions astir really agelong it mightiness return for 1 man to unafraid nan two-thirds majority, aliases 89 ballots, basal to go nan 267th pope.

“Wait and see, a small patience, hold and see,” said Cardinal Mario Zenari, nan Vatican’s ambassador to Syria.

A Final Mass, Then ‘All Out’

The cardinals began nan time by participating successful nan Mass successful St. Peter’s Basilica, attended by Vatican officials and nan nationalist arsenic pilgrims extracurricular braved little rainfall showers to watch nan proceedings connected elephantine TV screens. The 91-year-old dean of nan college, Re, prayed for cardinals to find nan wisdom, counsel and knowing to elite a worthy caller shepherd.

Wearing agleam reddish vestments, nan cardinals processed down nan cardinal aisle of nan basilica arsenic nan Sistine Chapel’s boys’ choir sang. They took up their seats astir nan main altar, which lies supra nan accepted funeral spot of St. Peter, considered to beryllium nan first pope.

Re had presided astatine Francis’ funeral, delivering a heartfelt sermon connected nan reforming 12-year papacy overseen by Francis, history’s first Latin American pope.

At 4:30 p.m. (1430 GMT; 10:30 a.m. EDT) nan cardinals will locomotion solemnly into nan Sistine Chapel, chanting nan meditative “Litany of nan Saints” and nan Latin hymn “Veni Creator,” imploring nan saints and nan Holy Spirit to thief them prime a pope.

Once there, they promise to support secrecy astir what is astir to transpire and to not let immoderate interference from outsiders to power their voting.

Standing earlier Michelangelo’s imagination of eden and hellhole successful “The Last Judgment,” each cardinal places his manus connected nan Gospel and swears to transportation retired that duty.

The awesomeness of nan chapel’s frescoes, and Michelangelo’s successful particular, is meant to punctual nan cardinals of nan weighty work they bear. In his regulations for nan conclave, St. John Paul II wrote that successful nan Sistine Chapel, “everything is conducive to an consciousness of nan beingness of God.”

After nan cardinals return their oaths, a elder cardinal delivers a meditation. The maestro of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, calls retired “Extra omnes,” Latin for “all out.” Anyone not eligible to ballot past leaves and nan chapel doors close, allowing nan activity to begin.

The cardinals don’t person to return a first ballot connected Wednesday, but they are expected to. Assuming nary victor is found, nan Vatican said achromatic fume could beryllium expected retired of nan Sistine Chapel chimney astatine astir 7 p.m.

The cardinals discontinue for nan nighttime and return Thursday morning. They tin clasp up to 2 ballots successful nan greeting and 2 successful nan day until a victor is found.

While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will apt return astatine slightest a fewer rounds of voting. For overmuch of nan past century, it has taken betwixt 3 and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — nan pope who reigned for 33 days successful 1978 — was elected connected nan 4th ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected connected nan 5th successful 2013.

Lobbying Before The Conclave

While nan cardinals are expected to defy immoderate “secular” influences successful their choice, specified lobbying abounded successful Rome successful nan days earlier nan conclave arsenic various groups reminded cardinals of what mean Catholics want successful a leader.

Young Catholics penned an unfastened missive reminding cardinals that location is nary religion without young people, women and nan laity. Conservative Catholic media slipped cardinals copies of a glossy book containing their assessments of contenders. Survivors of clergy intersexual maltreatment warned cardinals that they would beryllium held accountable if they grounded to find a leader who will ace down connected decades of maltreatment and cover-up.

Advocates for women’s ordination were sending pinkish fume signals complete nan Vatican to request that women beryllium allowed to beryllium priests and participate successful a conclave.

Even nan White House sewage involved, posting a photograph of President Donald Trump dressed arsenic a pope. Trump said it was a joke, but nan motion was denounced by erstwhile Italian Premier Romano Prodi arsenic “indecent” governmental interference successful matters of religion that harked backmost to times erstwhile secular rulers habitually wielded belief to enactment successful power.

Lisette Herrera, a 54-year-old tourer from nan Dominican Republic, was profoundly moved to find herself by chance successful Rome arsenic nan conclave began. She decided Wednesday greeting to skip nan Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and believe alternatively successful St. Peter’s Square.

“I’m praying to nan Holy Spirit for a young pope who would enactment pinch america for a agelong time,” she said. “I don’t judge successful conclave politics, I conscionable consciousness that nan Holy Spirit is present and that’s each we request to know.”

Armando Statti, a pilgrim from Crotone, Italy, said he expected cardinals would settee connected a pope successful nan image of Francis aliases John Paul II.

“We dream he will beryllium announced arsenic soon arsenic possible, for nan liking of nan full world and for peace, and that he will clasp everyone,” he said.

Challenges Facing A New Pope

Many challenges look nan caller pope and measurement connected nan cardinals — supra each whether to proceed and consolidate Francis’ progressive bequest connected promoting women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, nan situation and migrants, aliases rotation it backmost to effort to unify a religion that became much polarized during his pontificate. The clergy activity maltreatment scandal hung complete nan pre-conclave talks.

Since Francis chose 80% of nan voters, continuity is likely, but nan shape it mightiness return is uncertain and identifying front-runners has been a challenge.

But immoderate names support appearing connected lists of “papabile,” aliases cardinals having nan qualities to beryllium pope.

— Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, an Italian who was Francis’ caput of authorities and nan Vatican No. 2, is simply a starring contender.

— Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, is simply a apical campaigner to beryllium history’s first Asian pope. He had a likewise high-profile job, heading nan Vatican’s evangelization agency responsible for nan Catholic Church successful overmuch of nan processing world.

— Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, nan archbishop of Budapest, is simply a starring campaigner representing nan much blimpish helping of nan church.

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AP reporters Giada Zampano and Vanessa Gera contributed.

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Associated Press belief sum receives support done nan AP’s collaboration pinch The Conversation US, pinch backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.