Notes before the Conclave: Final Update

First update in italics and bold; second update in bold only; third update bold and underline, fourth update bold, underline and italics

At the time of Pope Francis’ death yesterday, there were 135 members of the Sacred College of Cardinals under eighty years of age. Together, these 135 Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church (excepting perhaps a few who are unable to participate due to age and/or ill health) will comprise the Conclave to elect the 267th Bishop of Rome. It is the Bishop of Rome who serves as pope, exercising a universal ministry for the entire Catholic Church.

One hundred thirty-five is 15 over the 120-member limit set by Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, promulgated on 22 February 1996, the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter.¹ Pope Benedict XVI amended this motu proprio with Normas Nonnaullas, promulgated 22 February 2013, just days before his resignation, which occurred on 28 February 2013.

Being the Supreme Legislator and Judge for the Church, a pope can appoint more than 120 Cardinal electors. One hundred seventeen Cardinals were in the 2005 Conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. In the 2013 Conclave from which Cardinal Bergoglio emerged as Pope Francis, there were 115 Cardinal electors.

With up to 133 Cardinals participating, the upcoming Conclave will be the largest in history. Two Cardinals have announced they will not attend the Conclave due to poor health: Vinko Cardinal Puljic, Archbishop Emeritus of Sarajevo and Antonio Cardinal Cañizares, Archbishop Emeritus of Valencia, Spain. Puljic was elevated to the Sacred College by Pope John Paul II in 1994. Cañizares was created Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. With electors from 70 countries, it will also be the most universal Conclave in the Church’s history. It’s universality and its size were things about which Pope Francis seemed very intentional.

Of the now 133 electors, only 25 were not created Cardinals by Pope Francis. This amounts to ~19% of the upcoming Conclave’s likely participants. Of those 25, four were created by Pope John Paul II and the remaining twenty-one by Pope Benedict XVI. Both non-participating Cardinals are quite conservative.

Upon reaching 80 years of age, Cardinals become superannuated. Superannuated Cardinals, while they may participate in the daily General Congregations held by the Sacred College between the death of the Roman Pontiff and the start of the Conclave, are not part of the Conclave to select the next Vicar of Christ. They are also given the faculty not to attend these Congregations.²

During the sede vacante period, the so-called interregnum, the Sacred College of Cardinals governs the Church. Governance is mostly in the hands of the Particular Congregation, led by the Camerlengo and consisting of three other Cardinals, one from each order. These are called “Assistants.”³

Initially, Assistants of the Particular Congregation are chosen by lot from among the Cardinals already present in Rome. There must be one member from each order: Cardinal Bishop, Cardinal Priest, Cardinal Deacon. Cardinal Kevin Farrell (a Cardinal Deacon) is the Camerlengo (Chamberlain). Members other than the Camerlengo serve for three days, when they are replaced by three other cardinals (one from each order) chosen by lot.⁴

The Particular Congregation reports to and consults daily with the General Congregation “solely for the dispatch of ordinary business and of matters which cannot be postponed, and for the preparation of everything necessary for the election of the new Pope.”⁵

Under Universi Dominici Gregis, no Cardinal becomes superannuated between the death of the pope and the start of the Conclave. So, any Cardinal younger than 80 when the Holy See becomes vacant is eligible to be in Conclave.⁶ This is not a concern for this Conclave.

The next Cardinal to turn 80 is Carlos Cardinal Osoro Sierra, the Archbishop Emeritus of Madrid, Spain. His birthday is 16 May. The last Cardinal to turn 80 before Pope Francis’ death was George Cardinal Alencherry, Major Archbishop Emeritus of Ernakulam-Angamaly (Syro-Malabar), India. His eightieth birthday was last Saturday, 19 April. Cardinal Alencherry is the only member of Sacred College from the Syro-Malabar Church. This Church is the second-largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. Due to his superannuation, this Church will not be represented in the Conclave.

It also bears noting that due to a punishment of sorts for financial crimes of which he has been convicted but is the process of appealing, Giovanni Angelo Cardinal Becciu cannot participate in the Conclave. While he remains formally a Cardinal, he was stripped of all prerogatives of being a member of the Sacred College.⁷ At one point, Becciu was going to sue in the Italian courts for financial damages incident to being deprived of the opportunity to become pope!⁸

Fifteen full days must elapse between the Holy See becoming sede vacante and the start of Conclave.⁹ This can be moved forward if all the voting Cardinals who can be present will be present.¹⁰ During their Fifth General Congregation today, the College of Cardinals determined that the Conclave to elect the 267th successor of Saint Peter will start Wednesday, 7 May.¹¹ The Conclave can also be moved back, according to the governing law, for "serious reasons" the Conclave can be delayed a few days.¹² This is what happened with this Conclave.

Pope Francis’ funeral is set for Saturday, 26 April. His funeral liturgy will be celebrated in Saint Peter’s Basilica. Afterwards, his earthly remains will be transferred to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial in accordance with his final testament.¹³

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1 John Paul II. Apostolic Constiution Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG), No. 33.^↩
2 UDG, No. 7.^↩
3 UDG, No. 7.^↩
4 UDG, No. 7.^↩
5 UDG, No. 2.^↩
6 UDG, No. 33.^↩
7 See "Convicted Cardinal Becciu claims conclave voting rights; Vatican said ‘no’."^↩
8 See "Ousted cardinal sues Italian newspaper for report he claims prevented him from becoming pope."^↩
9 Pope Benedict XVI. Motu proprio Normas Nonnaullas, No. 37.^↩
10 Normas Nonnaullas, No. 37.^↩
11 See Conclave to elect new Pope to begin on May 7th."^↩
12 UDG, No. 37.^↩
13 See "Pope Francis's Testament.^↩

"... now and at the hour of our death"

It is no great surprise that Pope Francis will be buried in the Pauline Chapel of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, not in the Vatican. This is where the icon of Our Lady, Salus Populi Romani is kept for veneration.

After each journey from Rome, upon his return, Pope Francis would bring flowers, venerate, and pray before the image of Our Lady, Salus Populi Romani. He did the same on Marian feasts.

Roman Catholics are the populi Romani.

From the Holy Father's final testament:

Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest - awaiting the day of the Resurrection - in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.

I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.

The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus

In modern times, only Pope Leo XIII, who served as Roman Pontiff from 1878-1903, is not buried in the Vatican. Incidentally, Leo XIII (born in 1810) is likely the earliest born person to be captured in a motion picture. Leo XIII is buried in Saint John Lateran, the Pope's Cathedral as Bishop of Rome.

Among Pope Leo's achievements over his long ponificate was his encyclical Rerum Novarum ("On Capital and Labor"), promulgated in 1891. This encyclical launched the Catholic Church's modern social teaching. Notable among Pope Francis's contributions to the Church's social teaching are- Evangelii Gaudium, which he called the charter for his pontificate, Laudato Si' and its sequel Laudate Deum, along with Fratelli Tutti.

Pope Francis' tomb will mark quite a contrast with Pope Leo's:

Tomb of Pope Leo XIII in Saint John Lateran, Rome

Pope Francis, requiscat in pace

Hopefully, as the news of Pope Francis' death sinks in, I will be able to post some thoughts later this week. I think it a great grace that he died on Easter Monday. Of course, we observe the Easter Octave as one day. So, Jorge Mario Bergoglio died on Easter.

I already miss him. I think his voice is needed now more than ever. God thought otherwise. I will go with God.

I have been praying fervently each day since he was hospitalized for his full recovery. That was not to be. But I am glad he was able to leave hospital and return to the Vatican, making his way back to the Casa Santa Marta, where he lived after becoming pope. He never moved into the Papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.

At least to me, Francis' papacy had the feel of a pilgrimmage, a mission. He has now completed his pilgrimmage of hope. Pilgrimmage of hope is an apt desciption of each Christian's life.

After his return to the Vatican- I won't say "home" for two reasons: Buenos Aires was his earthly home and now he is truly home in the house of the Father- I was most moved by the Holy Father's willingness to show his vulnerability, his humanity, over the last few weeks of his life. In this he was truly the Vicar of Christ, the Crucified.

I find it somewhat sad that after leaving Buenos Aires for Rome in March 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, he never returned either to Buenos Aires or even to Argentina. This despite visiting South America four times as pope.

O God, immortal shepherd of souls,
look on your people’s prayers
and grant that your servant Pope Francis,
who presided over your Church in charity,
may, with the flock entrusted to his care,
receive from your mercy
the reward of a faithful steward.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen
(from the Roman Missal)

Urbi et Orbi- Easter 2025

URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
FRANCIS

Easter 2025

Mary Magdalene, seeing that the stone of the tomb had been rolled away, ran to tell Peter and John. After receiving the shocking news, the two disciples also went out and — as the Gospel says — “the two were running together” (Jn 20:4). The main figures of the Easter narratives all ran! On the one hand, “running” could express the concern that the Lord’s body had been taken away; but, on the other hand, the haste of Mary Magdalene, Peter and John expresses the desire, the yearning of the heart, the inner attitude of those who set out to search for Jesus. He, in fact, has risen from the dead and therefore is no longer in the tomb. We must look for him elsewhere.

This is the message of Easter: we must look for him elsewhere. Christ is risen, he is alive! He is no longer a prisoner of death, he is no longer wrapped in the shroud, and therefore we cannot confine him to a fairy tale, we cannot make him a hero of the ancient world, or think of him as a statue in a museum! On the contrary, we must look for him and this is why we cannot remain stationary. We must take action, set out to look for him: look for him in life, look for him in the faces of our brothers and sisters, look for him in everyday business, look for him everywhere except in the tomb.

We must look for him without ceasing. Because if he has risen from the dead, then he is present everywhere, he dwells among us, he hides himself and reveals himself even today in the sisters and brothers we meet along the way, in the most ordinary and unpredictable situations of our lives. He is alive and is with us always, shedding the tears of those who suffer and adding to the beauty of life through the small acts of love carried out by each of us.

READ THE ENTIRE ADDRESS

The Resurrection of the Lord

Readings: Acts 10:34a.37-43; Ps 118:1-2.16-17.22-23; 1 Cor 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9

For those who experienced the Sacred Triduum, by Easter Sunday you are so immersed in the Paschal Mystery of the Lord’s death and resurrection that words not only fail but can get in the way. Liturgy, Mother Church teaches, is prima theologia (i.e., first theology). As the suffix urgy (from the Greek urgos, meaning "to do") indicates, liturgy isn’t just something you do. It is an experience.

When engaged in wholeheartedly, liturgy is an experience that becomes an encounter. It is nothing less than an encounter with the Risen Lord, an experience of His real presence. In speaking of the Lord’s real presence in and through the sacraments, He can seem ghostly. This is okay because, until He returns, Jesus is made present by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit is the mode of Christ’s post-resurrection presence. So, the Holy Spirit is the way, the means by which, the medium of His presence. The sacraments are the Holy Spirit’s masterworks. Each of the Church’s seven sacraments features an epiclesis. Epiclesis is a Greek verb meaning to call down.

At baptism, plunging his hand into the water, the minister calls the Holy Spirit down on the font. This makes the water “holy.” This is what makes baptism more than just getting wet, which is the outward sign of this sacrament. It is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes the water of the font efficacious for the inward graces conferred by the outward sign.

What are the inward graces received in baptism? Being washed clean from sin, restored to the state of original grace, being reborn as child of God, dying, being buried, and rising to new life in Christ. Because Jesus is risen, so are you! As Nietzsche observed: “only where there are graves are resurrections.”¹ Resurrection is not something you believe happened a long time ago. Resurrection is the mode of Christian life.

I was joking a few days ago that maybe for his homily I would just say, “He is Risen! Let’s go live like it.” In truth, this encapsulates what Easter is all about. Let’s not forget, every Sunday, even in Lent, is Easter. Eternal life starts at baptism, not after physical death.

Just as every Sunday is Easter, every Friday, making exceptions for Solemnities that from time-to-time fall on Friday, is Good Friday. There is what I call the inverse property of redemption. There is no resurrection without crucifixion. Also, crucifixion without resurrection is nothing other than the cruel and tortuous execution of one more insignificant peasant by the Roman imperium.

This inverse property of redemption is why it is important to experience the entire Triduum: Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, and then Easter.

Easter is the time of overflowing grace imparted through the Church’s sacraments. Last night, in this very church, seven men and women were baptized. Along with two others, they were then confirmed, and they all received Holy Communion for the first time.

Resurrection can remain an abstract concept, a mere belief in a fact, or it can become a matter of experience. Faith is not a differential equation. Like the disciple who arrived at the tomb first but entered it after Peter, who saw the burial cloths strewn about the empty tomb and believed, faith is the experience of the mystery to be delved into ever more deeply.”²

Despite believing, along with the others, this disciple did “not yet understand the Scripture that [Jesus] had to rise from the dead.”³ As Anslem of Canterbury insisted: Credo ut intelligam- “I believe so that I may understand.”⁴ Not the other way around.

It is a custom in the Greek Ukrainian Catholic Rite for each person present at a baptism to receive a martyr’s ribbon. Marty, too is a Greek word. It means witness. What is it we witnessed last night? We witnessed seven people die, be buried, and rise to new life.

This is what I mean when I say liturgy is an experience that becomes an encounter with our Risen Lord. In a few moments, we will renew our own baptismal promises and be sprinkled with water from the same font in which our sisters and brothers were baptized last night.

Renewal of baptismal promises is that for which Lent is preparation. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving along with other penitential and spiritual practices, including going to confession, which is made more available during Lent, is how we prepare for this renewal each year.

Through baptism, you are plunged into this mystery. It is this mystery you live as it unfolds through the events that make-up your life. What is life but experience? It is through experience that we come to understand ever more deeply what it means to rise from the dead.

Alleluia. Christus resurexit, quia Deus caritas est. Alléluia!

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1 Friedrich Nietzsche. Thus Spake Zarathustra, Second Part XXXIII, “The Grave Song.”^↩
2 John 20:8.^↩
3 John 20:9.^↩
4 Anslem of Canterbury,Proslogion, 1.

Triduum: Holy Saturday

Dead Christ,, by Hans Holbein, the Younger, 1520-1522

Something strange is happening — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began¹

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1 Liturgy of the Hours. Office of Readings for Holy Saturday. From an Ancient Homily on Holy Saturday.^↩

Triduum- Good Friday- Second of Jesus' Seven Last Words

Luke 23:43- “I tell you this: today you will be with me in Paradise”

Only one of the Seven Last Words of Jesus that comprise this devotion is found in more than of the Gospels. The remaining six are found in only one Gospel. This is particularly relevant for this second Word. While present in all four canonical accounts of the crucifixion, the thieves only speak in Luke’s Gospel.

Samuel Beckett’s most well-known work, Waiting for Godot, features two vagrants, two hobos, two ne’er-do-wells, Vladimir (“Didi”) and Estragon (“Gogo”) as main characters. Didi and Gogo are waiting by a tree on a country road for someone named Godot.

Beckett, who wrote about the fittingness of being born not only on Good Friday, but on Friday the thirteenth, was raised as an Anglo-Catholic.¹ He had a deep Christian sensibility.

Druid’s production of Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett, photography: Matthew Thompson.Used under the provisions of the Creative Commons License

Beckett’s unique artistic gift was to deal with life’s big questions, what we might call metaphysics, in an ordinary way, a way we might call existential. His works and characters are gritty, earthy, and intense. When dealing with matters theological, his approach was oblique, as opposed to straightforward.

In Waiting for Godot (is the name Godot, spelled G-o-d-o-t, a reference to God?), Godot never shows up. Not given to expositing his work ex post facto, choosing instead to let them speak for themselves, Beckett was always very coy about the name Godot. But it’s interesting, isn’t it, a tree and two suspicious people waiting for Godot?

Early in the play’s opening act, Didi mentions the two thieves “crucified at the same time as our Lord.” Gogo chokes on the word “Lord,” which causes Didi to modify and use “Savior,” noting “One [thief] is supposed to have been saved and the other…[pause] damned.” “how is it,” Didi asks, “that of the four Evangelists only one speaks of a thief being saved”?² Vladimir doesn’t care for these odds.

Tradition has dubbed the good thief Dismas and has canonized him: Saint Dismas. He is a model believer. He is us. Dom Christian de Chergé, the martyred abbot of Our Lady of the Atlas Cistercian monastery in Algeria, ended his last testament, written to and for the Islamist insurgents who killed him and most of the other monks, with these words: “May we meet again as happy thieves in Paradise, if it please God, the Father of us both.”³

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1 Gerry Dukes, Samuel Beckett (Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 2002), 5.^↩
2 Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot, Act I.^↩
3 Dom Christian de Chergé. Testament.^↩