That morning, after passing
through security, Bergoglio left his suitcase and went to his room, which, as
determined by lottery, was room 207 in Santa Marta.
This morning at 10:00, over 150 cardinals, both electors
and those above eighty, processed into St. Peter’s Basilica for a solemn Latin
Mass attended by around 7,000 people, including clergy, religious, lay
faithful, diplomats, and global media. Thunder rolled outside as heavy rain
fell. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI followed the event from Castel Gandolfo. When the Mass ended, the
cardinals processed out amid camera flashes, the faithful quietly wondering who
among them would be the next pope. In the sacristy, after vestments were
removed, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia approached Bergoglio with a sudden remark: “You could be the next pope!”
The historical record offers some perspective on the
length of the conclave. It shows that eight conclaves were held over the past
hundred years, and most were short. The longest was for the election of Pius XI
in 1922, which took fourteen votes. The most rapid came on the eve of World War
II in 1939, when Pius XII was elected in three ballots. Since then, John XXIII
was elected in 1958 after eleven ballots, Paul VI in 1963 after five ballots,
John Paul I after four and John Paul II after eight—both in 1978—and Benedict
XVI in 2005 after four. This would suggest that the 2013 conclave could also be
short, but cardinals seemed unsure about this as they began...
O’Connell, Gerard. The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That
Changed History. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2019.
In Le
Monde, Stephanie Le Bars wrote about ten cardinals who could become pope:
Ravasi, Scola, Schönborn, Ouellet, Scherer, Sarah, Tagle, Ranjith, O'Malley and
Erdo.
With
minutes to go before the conclave began, the windows of the cardinals' rooms in
Santa Marta were tightly locked and the blinds closed. All contact with the
outside world was cut off; those inside would now shoulder the burden of their
sacred duty alone. Here, in the heart of the Vatican, a sacred silence reigned.
The cardinals, electors, and everyone involved in the conclave process were
completely cut off from communication. Security was as impenetrable as an iron
wall, protecting both Santa Marta and all the paths leading from there to the
Sistine Chapel. At lunchtime, the electors gathered in groups in the dining
hall. Those experiencing the conclave for the first time were amazed by the
uniqueness of the environment.
Today's
conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel, famous for its historic
atmosphere. However, when we look back at history, we see that popes were not
always elected in this sacred place. Over the centuries, popes were elected in
different places and by different methods. For example, in 731, Pope Gregory
III was elected by ‘acclamation,’ that is, by the enthusiastic approval of the
people. In 1585, Sixtus V ascended to the papacy ‘almost by inspiration,’ that
is, through a special spiritual sign. However, in general, popes are elected by
secret ballot. The first papal election by secret ballot took place in 1276 in
Arezzo, 135 miles north of Rome. Since then, almost all papal elections have
been conducted by conclave since 1294. The election held in 2013 will be the
75th conclave. Almost all papal elections have been held in Italy, mostly in
Rome. Fifty-one conclaves took place in the Vatican, and 24 of these were held
in the historic Sistine Chapel. Additionally, ten elections between 1550 and
1700 were held in the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican. Thus, this election will
be the 52nd conclave in the Vatican and the 25th conclave in the Sistine
Chapel. A new chapter is about to be opened in the depths of history.
These
electors came from 48 different countries and five continents. There were 60
cardinals from Europe, 28 of whom were Italian. There were 19 from Latin
America, 14 from North America (11 from the United States and 3 from Canada),
11 from Africa, 10 from Asia, and only 1 from Oceania (Australia) participating
in this historic vote.
Additionally,
18 were members of religious communities and apostolic life communities who had
dedicated their lives to God. Among them were one Jesuit, three Little Brothers
of St. Francis, one Capuchin Franciscan, four Salesians, two Dominicans, one
Redemptorist, one Lazarist, one Sulpician, one Oblate of Mary Immaculate, one
Scalabrinian, one Schönstatt Institute priest, and one Mariamite Maronite.
The cardinal electors,
dressed in red robes, were preparing to be taken from Santa Marta to the
Pauline Chapel. The Pauline Chapel was built by Pope Paul IV Farnese between
1537 and 1540. It was located at the top of the Scala Regia, or Royal
Staircase, designed by Bernini, which connected the Vatican Palace to St.
Peter's Basilica. When they arrived at the chapel, the cardinals gathered
together and waited for the ceremony to begin, admiring Michelangelo's two
magnificent works on the walls: ‘The Conversion of Saint Paul’ and ‘The
Crucifixion of Saint Peter.’ These works were commissioned by Paul III and
created after Michelangelo completed ‘The Last Judgment’ in the Sistine Chapel.
By now, most of the
cardinals had decided who to give their first vote to. Many also had second and
even third choices in mind, as they would need to turn to alternatives if their
first candidate failed to gain support. However, as in the past, those who were
undecided would typically cast their first vote for a name they admired,
respected, or wished to encourage. The announcement that divided their thoughts
signalled the start of the ceremony. This ceremony, rich in history, ritual,
and pomp, began at 4:30 PM with a grand ceremony at the Pauline Chapel,
accompanied by prayers. In accordance with the Ordo Rituum Conclavis, a brief
address was given by the cardinal.
Then the cardinals slowly
walked towards the Sistine Chapel. At the front of the procession was the
cross, followed by the Sistine choir, then two ceremonial officers, two
sacristans, and the cardinal dean's religious assistant. Next came the
Secretary of the College of Cardinals, Archbishop Baldisseri; Cardinal Grech,
who would lead the meditation; and the cardinal electors. They were arranged in
hierarchical order and by age: first the cardinal deacons, then the cardinal
bishops, and finally the cardinal archbishops. A deacon followed them, carrying
the Book of the Gospel.
During
the procession, the famous Sistine Chapel Choir guided the cardinals with Latin
hymns. They first sang the Litany of the Saints, calling upon the
intercession of all the saints. Then rose the Veni Creator, a hymn from
the 9th century, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This was the
moment for the cardinal electors to prepare themselves for the monumental decision
they were about to make ,for the universal Church and the world.
They
entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs. Walking to the center, they paid homage to
the crucifix before taking their predetermined seats along the chapel’s two
sides.
Many
cardinals, especially those seeing it for the first time, gazed with awe and
reverence at the stunning frescoes adorning the chapel walls. These
masterpieces were commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV and painted by renowned
Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio,
and Rosselli. The frescoes depicted scenes from the lives of Moses and Jesus.
Completed in 1482, Sixtus IV celebrated the chapel’s first Mass there on August
15, 1483. The very first conclave held in the Sistine Chapel took place in
1513. As the cardinals took their places, their eyes were drawn upward to the
magnificent ceiling, the work of Michelangelo, one of the greatest masters of
the Italian Renaissance. It was filled with scenes from the Book of Genesis.
The most famous of these is the image of God reaching out to touch Adam’s finger
during Creation, painted between 1508 and 1512 under the patronage of Pope
Julius II.
In front of every cardinal in the
Sistine Chapel were three important texts: the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, which governs the
papal election process; the Ordo Rituum,
detailing the conclave rituals; and the Liturgy
of the Hours prayer book. Additionally, a list containing the names of all
cardinal electors was placed before them. After all cardinals took their seats,
the conclave’s presiding officer, Cardinal Re, read aloud the oath pledging to
follow all the rules of the papal election and to keep complete secrecy about
everything that happened during the conclave. This oath forbade leaking any
information about the election, prohibited any audio or video recordings, and
barred any outside interference in the process. Breaking the oath carried an
automatic penalty of excommunication.
Following the cardinal dean’s
reading of the oath, each cardinal, in order of hierarchy, went to the open
Bible placed in the center of the Sistine Chapel and repeated the oath
personally, placing his hand on the book. This entire process was broadcast
live by Vatican Television.
Once the
oaths were completed, Monsignor Marini, the ceremony’s master, loudly
commanded, “Extra omnes!” (“Everyone
out!”). Millions around the world watched this thrilling moment. Except for
those who were not allowed to vote, Monsignor Marini, and Cardinal Prosper
Stanley Grech, everyone else left the chapel immediately. Marini then slowly
closed the two massive wooden doors of the Sistine Chapel. Outside the doors,
two Swiss Guards stood firmly, dressed in their colorful uniforms and holding
long halberds, allowing no one to enter.
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| The Two Popes |
All 115 cardinal electors wrote the name of their chosen
candidate on their ballots, carefully folded them, and then proceeded one by
one to the podium to cast their votes in order. Each cardinal held their ballot
between their thumb and index finger, raised it clearly so everyone could see,
and then walked towards the altar where a silver and gold-plated urn decorated
with the figure of the Good Shepherd awaited. This urn was crafted by the
Italian sculptor Cecco Bonanotte.
Upon reaching the altar, beneath the
breathtaking sight of Michelangelo’s Last
Judgment, each cardinal loudly and clearly proclaimed the oath:
“I cast my vote for the one whom I believe
to be worthy before God.”
Afterwards, they placed their ballot
on the gold-plated plate atop the altar, tilted it gently to allow the ballot
to fall into the urn, and finally paid their respects to the crucifix before
returning to their seat. The next cardinal then repeated the same ritual.
Once all 115 electors had cast their
votes, three officials approached the podium to begin the count. The tension
was palpable; everyone held their breath for this historic moment. The first
official shook the urn to mix the ballots, using the same urn from the previous
conclave. Then, the second official took each ballot and transferred it to a
second, empty urn. This step verified that the number of ballots matched the
number of electors if there was any discrepancy, that round would be declared
invalid.
When the count was complete, the
three officials sat at the table in front of the altar. The first opened each
ballot, quietly read the candidate’s name, and took note. The second repeated
the process, and the third announced the name aloud to the entire assembly
before recording it on a specially prepared sheet of paper. From the outside,
the windows of the Sistine Chapel were completely darkened. However, given
advances in modern communication technology and risks of electronic
eavesdropping, the security measures from the 2005 conclave were deemed
insufficient. For the 2013 conclave, additional precautions were introduced,
including Faraday cages and other cutting-edge devices designed to block
smartphone signals and prevent electronic surveillance.
To
secure the votes, the third official pierced the word “Eligo” (“I elect”) on each ballot with a needle and
thread, binding the ballots together. Once all were read, knots were tied at
the ends of the threads, and the linked ballots were set aside.
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| The Two Popes |
The third and final phase of the
voting, the counting of the ballots, had begun. The results brought many
surprising moments. Before the conclave, many cardinals had expected a wide
distribution of votes in the first ballot, but no one anticipated just how
broad it would be: a total of twenty-three cardinals received at least one
vote, meaning one in every five cardinals was supported. Moreover, four of them
received ten or more votes, while another received four votes.
Cardinal Scola led with thirty
votes, though he did not receive as many as some cardinals and the Italian
media had predicted. The biggest surprise was Cardinal Bergoglio from
Argentina, who came in a close second with twenty-six votes. In fact, he should
have had twenty-seven, but one ballot mistakenly recorded his name as
“Broglio.” This was an extremely promising start for the Archbishop of Buenos
Aires.
Coming in third was Ouellet, who
performed better than expected, garnering twenty-two votes and establishing himself as a
strong candidate. O’Malley was a surprise with ten votes, marking the highest
number ever received by an American candidate. On the other hand, the highly
promising Brazilian Cardinal Scherer received only four votes, which was unexpectedly
low. Outside these frontrunners, five cardinals, Schönborn, Turkson, Pell,
Monsengwo Pasinya, and Dolan, each received two votes. Another thirteen
cardinals garnered a single vote each, including the misspelt “Broglio,”
which was clearly meant for Bergoglio.
The voting process concluded with
the burning of the ballots. After double-checking the count reports, officials
took the ballots and records to one of two specially prepared ovens in the back
left corner of the Sistine Chapel. These two ovens were connected to a narrow
chimney that led outside, a symbol watched by the world for centuries to see if
a new pope had been elected. This tradition dates back to the 18th century when
the master of ceremonies decided to announce the results to the world by the colour
of the smoke, black or white, rising from the ballots’ burning. (Following the rules, the ballots from this
first vote were burned in the old oven used in every conclave since 1939.)
PART 1: In Bergoglio’s Shadow: The Conclave After Ratzinger
References
· O’Connell, Gerard. The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That Changed History. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2019.
· Pope Francis. Life: My Story Through History―An Autobiography of the Life and Legacy of Pope Francis. Thomas Nelson, 2022.
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