The Papabili "Pontificate"

Even before the interregum began, Vatican watchers could not help but speculate who would become the sole Cardinal survivor who would become the Supreme Pontiff.





 Choosing  the next vicar is not decided by playing musical chairs in the Sistine Chapel or at a chatty Church “Tribal Council” but by prayerful discernment with the guidance of the Holy Spirit after interacting with their Cardinal colleagues.

Part of the reason for the General Congregations of the Cardinals in the Sede Vacante interregnum is so that fellow cardinals can informally acquaint themselves before going into the Conclave.

These  informal judgments about character and virtue gleaned from coffee breaks and schmoozing can inform Cardinal-electors to their choice . Consider that as they cast each vote, they must swear an oath to vote for the vest man to lead the church as they as they stand before Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel.

Now that the start of the Conclave has been set for Tuesday March 12, we ought to  educate ourselves of potential pontiffs. While the faithful outside the College of Cardinals are neither  privy to a Papabili’s piety nor their force of personality amongst equals, we can get a glimpse of their persona through quotes attributed to these Princes of the Church.

In furtherance of this understanding, here are a passel of Papabili.  For those who appreciate hemaneutics, studying their heraldry along with their chosen mottoes might be revealing.

Note the San Marco lion and the ship on Archbishop Scola's crest--those are remnants from when the nine years when Scola was the Patriarch of Venice before he was transferred to the influential Ambrosian diocese of Milan.

Ravasi was appointed as Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Culture in 2007. Ravasi was also appointed for a five year term on the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Pontifical Council for Interreligous Dialogue and he was the first member of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Turkson to the the President of the  Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in 2009.

Ouette has been the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops (having the responsibility for "recruiting" and vetting bishops)  as well as also serving as the President of Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Aside from his tony lineage and close connections with  Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI, Schoenborn was a key editor for the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Scherer does has some experience with the Roman Curia, as he washe was an official of the Congregation for Bishops from 1994 to 2001.

Braz de Aviz was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the Prefect of the  Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in 2011.

Tagle only received his scarlet zucchetto in November 2012.  But the 55 year old Tagle had been named for a five year term to serve on the Congregation for Catholic Education.  Moreover, Pope Benedict XVI named Tagle as one of the Synod fathers for the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization on September 18, 2012.

Cardinal O'Malley is a Capuchin who is renowned for his holiness.  O'Malley serves on the Pontifical Council for the Family which befits his longstanding commitment to pro-life issues as well as his association with March for Life founder Nellie Gray.

Dolan has  been a Cardinal for just over a year but he transferred from a seven year stint being Archbishop of Milwaukee to the Archbishop of New York in 2009.  Currently, Dolan is the President of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops.  Last year, Dolan was a leading voice in the Fortnight for Freedom project to educate Americans about the HHS Mandate and how it encroached on First Amendment liberties.

Prior to the Conclave's commencement, Cardinals have urged for prayer in their discerning.  To that end, Adoptacardinal.org  will designate a Cardinal-elector for you to pray for during this period.

B-16 Intentionally Grounds His Petrine Barque

Benedict XVI upon his election April 19, 2005 [AP photo: Domenico Stinellis]

It was a shock to the world the Pope Benedict XVI (ne Josef Ratzinger) offered a letter of resignation today from the Papacy during a consistory which was originally  just slated to canonize three saints.  Benedict XVI was elected pope on a fourth ballot on April 19, 2005 and who at age 78 was one of  the oldest Popes elevated to the Chair of St. Peter.  Cardinal Ratizinger had developed a reputation as a doctrinaire  Rottweiler as he headed the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the office of  Holy Inquisition) during most of Pope Blessed John Paul II’s  26 ½ year reign . Benedict XVI surprised critics as being a gentle German Shepherd during his nearly eight year tenure leading the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation will take effect as of February 28, 2013 8 pm Rome time. There will be a two week period when it will sede vacante and then the College of Cardinals will meet to vote on who will become the next Pope.

Pope Benedict XVI Crest

Pope Benedict XVI had hinted at the possibility of resigning during an interview with Peter Seewald in 2010 if he did not feel that he was physically or mentally capable of fulfilling the mission of the papacy.  Some had speculated that Benedict XVI might resign at the conclusion of the Year of Faith, which is slated to end November 24th.  Yet Benedict XVI heeded his prayerful examination of conscience and chose the end of February.  This could be symbolic as the announcement was made on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes which is also the Church’s World Day of the Sick.  However the date also coincides with the signing of the Lateran Pacts (1929), when the Republic of Italy recognized the sovereignty and independence of the Vatican City state.

In his letter of resignation, Pope Benedict XVI noted:

 After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. 

A papal resignation is permitted under  Canon Law  332 §2.  This is the first papal resignation in 600 years.  The last time that there was a resignation from the Chair of St. Peter  was in 1415 when Pope Gregory XII.  During the the Great Western Schism when there were three concurrent “popes”, Gregory XII in Rome, an anti-pope Benedict XIII in Avingnon and the Council of Pisa in 1409 also elected a third pope John XXIII.   At the urging of the Council of Constance, both Pope Gregory XII and John XXII resigned their claims to the papacy to clear the way for a pope whose title was unquestioned.  The anti-pope Benedict XIII refused to resign, was excommunicated and died two years later. Pope Celestine V was pressured to abdicate in 1294, Pope Benedict IX who “sold the papacy” in 1046, and Pope John XVIII who abdicated in 1009.

Pope Benedict XVI’s letter of resignation alludes to his perceived deterioration of mind and body which prompted his abdication. While there have been no public announcements of Benedict XVI’s diagnosis associated with the resignation, it is clear that the 85 year old pontiff was becoming frail and walking with more difficult.  A year ago, the Bavarian born pope began to use a “popemobile” of sorts to navigate the long aisles of St. Peter’s Basilica for liturgies.  There have been some reports that Pope Benedict XVI was grounded by doctors from taking trans-Atlantic flights.

Since Pope Paul VI traveled to the Holy Land in 1964, Popes stopped being secluded at Lateran Palace.  In fact, Pope John Paul II’s extensive travelogue evolved the papacy to being a pilgrim post for the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.   So in Pope Benedict XVI’s mind, it would not behoove the mission of the Church at this time to have a leader who was grounded.

Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation does provide some complications.  Aside from sitting on the Chair of Peter, the Pope is also the Bishop of Rome and the head of the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Ordinarily, when Bishops retire, they are considered Bishop-emeritus.  It could be awkward to have a newly elected pope with a Bishop Emeritus hovering over him.  There will also be the matter on how to refer to the former Pope.  But since he would still be a Cardinal Emeritus, his title is likely to revert to Cardinal Ratzinger.

Details will have to be worked out over the post succession, but Pope Benedict XVI has indicated that he will not participate in the College of Cardinals conclave, slated to be in mid-March as he will move to  to Castel Gandolfo (the Papal summer residence).  When renovations of a monastery for cloistered nuns in Vatican City is complete, the former Pope Benedict will go for there for a period of prayer and reflection.  God willing, he will be able to continue publishing things like his trilogy of Jesus of Nazareth theological reflections which he wrote during his papacy.

White Smoke announcing "Habemus papam"

Even though Pope Benedict XVI will not actively participate in the College of Cardinals Conclave, his influence will be profound. Pope Benedict XVI has appointed 67 of the 118 Cardinals who are under 80 and eligible to cast ballots. Moreover, the remaining Conclave electors were appointed by Pope Blessed John Paul II, who Cardinal Ratzinger acted as “spiritual consigliare” so presumably the electors will choose someone who reflect Pope Benedict XVI’s sensibilities.  Depending upon the timing and duration of the Conclave, up to four Cardinals will lose their voting rights by the end of March 2013.

Until we see white smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel indicating the College of Cardinals, which is the tradition since 1878 to announce that the Conclave has achieved a 2/3rds plus 1 majority vote for a new Supreme Pontiff, no one knows how the Holy Spirit will inspire the electors.  The participants are sworn to secrecy and sequestered at St. Martha’s during the Conclave.  Do not expect leaks from a Vatican butler to leak this time either.

While any baptized male Roman Catholic could be chosen, realistically, papability requires being a wearer of crimson couture; after all the College of Cardinals have chosen from amongst their ranks since 1378.

Looking purely at statistics,  half (59) of eligible cardinals are European, the largest delegation is from Italy with 28 electors or 23.7% (up from 20 or 17.8% overall in 2005).   But this presumes that blocs will vote together for geographic or linguistic reasons.  There were rumblings in 2005 that the Italians wanted the papacy back and they elected a German.  Moreover, Vatican II showed that with collegiality amongst bishops, bonds are strong with those in your conclave “class” as well as with brother bishops theological predilections.   Depending upon how long the College of Cardinals deliberations go, there may be a new Pope for Holy Week.

Generally, the Papacy is considered a calling to one's Earthly end.  Pope Blessed John Paul II's difficult health decline from Parkinson's Disease and the effects of his 1981 assassination attempt was a object lesson on the dignity of human life and natural death, the redemptive value of suffering and some might argue martyrdom.  One can draw lessons from Pope Benedict XVI's  "intentional grounding" as a selfless act which demonstrates humility and the desire to best serve the Lord in building the Kingdom of God.

h/t: Whispers in the Loggia