SERIES: CONVERSATIONS WITH JEFFREY
“Grandma, what's going on in the
Catholic Church? I've seen news stories on TV about Pope Benedict XVI
resigning next week, February 28. Why is he doing that?”
“The Pope apparently is not in good
health and believes he is losing his strength and capability because
of his age. He doesn't think he is well enough to be responsible for
all the matters that concern the billions of Catholics all over the
world.”
“Is the Pope older than you,
Grandma? Do popes resign when they get old?”
“No, I am two years older than the
Pope. He is only 85. Pope Benedict was already 78 when he was elected
pope. In the past two thousand years since Jesus founded the Catholic
Church and appointed the apostle Peter as the first leader of the
Church, popes usually remained in office until they died.”
“Pope John Paul II, the pope
before Pope Benedict, stayed pope until he died, didn't he? I was
about 5 years old then and don't remember much about it but I've seen
videos.”
“Pope John Paul was 84 when he died
and very ill and weak with Parkinson's disease, but he showed us how
to die courageously and faithfully. He didn't think God wanted him to
resign.”
“Did any of the popes in history
ever resign?”
“Six hundred years ago Pope Gregory
XII resigned, but no one since. It's in the laws of the Catholic
Church, however, that a pope may resign.”
“How will we get another pope?”
“The College of Cardinals....”
“Grandma, is that a school—like
a college? I know they are leaders in the Church who wear red clothes
and red hats, but tell me again what is a Cardinal?”
“Jeffrey, the word 'college' here
simply means a group of all the Cardinals from everywhere in the
world. They were usually Bishops first, and can only be appointed by
a Pope. They live in their own countries unless a Pope calls them
together for a conference to advise him about Church matters. They
really have no ruling power except the really big responsibility God
has given them to elect a successor to the pope if he dies or
resigns.”
“How many Cardinals are there?”
“209 at present, but only those under
80 can vote for a new pope. They can be present but are not allowed
to vote. So only 118 will actually vote.”
“Was Pope Benedict a Cardinal
before he was elected pope?”
“Yes, and his birth name was Joseph
Ratzinger. When a man is elected pope he chooses a different name
that has some special meaning to him. Usually it is a similar name to
a previous pope but with a different number behind it. Like Pope
Benedict was the sixteenth pope to be called Benedict.”
“Do the Cardinals have to choose a
pope from among themselves?”
“No, but they usually have done so.
By Church law, I think that any unmarried Catholic man from anywhere
in the world can be elected pope, even if he is not present at the
time of their Conclave.”
“Is 'Conclave' what they call that
special meeting of Cardinals?”
“Yes, they will assemble in Rome,
Italy and represent all the Catholics on earth when they elect a new
pope.”
“Where will they meet?”
“In the famous, beautiful Sistine
Chapel in the Vatican State. There will be strict security and when
they are all inside, the door will be locked and they must stay
inside until they have elected a new pope. Each Cardinal will have a
private room and private bath. Only 70 authorized people like
doctors, cooks, and those with special duties can come and go.”
“No TV, radio, cell phones,
Iphones, or other communication?”
“Nope. Totally isolated. The Conclave
usually lasts only a few days until an election is final.”
“When will the Conclave start?”
“Apparently before the middle of
March, when all the Cardinals will have arrived from other countries.
We should have a new pope before Easter this year.”
“How do they decide who to elect?”
“They pray a whole lot and can talk
among themselves but no one is supposed to put any pressure on anyone
else to influence their choice. They are to ask the Holy Spirit to
guide them to the right person whom God wants to be the successor of
the apostle Peter to guide the worldwide Catholic Church.”
“Do they have a voting machine
like when people elect a president or community officials?”
“No, they vote by secret ballot on a
blank white card where they write the name of the person they feel
should be the next pope. There are usually 4 ballots a day until a
consensus is reached of two-thirds plus one for a name agreed upon.”
“What's that thing about smoke
from the Chapel chimney?”
“It seems kind of old fashioned, but
it is traditional through the centuries. The ballots are burned twice
a day to create smoke coming out of the chimney. Previously they
would mix wet straw with the paper ballots to create the color of
smoke. Now they use some chemicals. If they have elected a pope, the
color of the smoke is white. If no decision has yet been reached, the
smoke is black or dark. Hundreds of thousands of people are waiting
outside in Saint Peter's Square for the announcement.”
“How exciting that's going to be!
And everybody will be able to see it on TV as soon as it happens.
Then what goes on?”
“Bells throughout Rome will begin to
ring and eventually a Church official will come out on the balcony of
the Vatican and announce in Latin, “Habemus papam!” (We have a
Pope!) Eventually the new pope will appear dressed in his new papal
vestments. He will wave to the people for a long time during all the
shouting and cheering and celebrating. Then he will address the
people with a speech for the first time and announce the special name
that he has taken for his pontificate.”
“Since Pope Benedict didn't die
but resigned, what will he do from now on?”
“He says he will spend his time in
private praying for God's will to be done in the world and for all of
us. He will live in a small monastery in the Vatican gardens. Since a
pope has never resigned in this way before, there are a lot of
details we won't know right away.”
“Will he be known as Joseph
Ratzinger again?”
“It seems that he will resume being a
Cardinal and possibly take back his birth name, but those things are
not certain. He has been a wonderful spiritual shepherd with a
brilliant mind and significant accomplishments for the Catholic
Church worldwide. He will be remembered especially as a writer of
many important books on theology, Church teachings, and especially
his recent three scholarly books on the 'Life of Jesus of Nazareth.'
We need to continue to pray for him.”
“And let's pray for the new pope
whoever God wants elected. Guess there could be some big surprises.
Wow! This is history making stuff in 2013!”
