Cardinals gather in Rome to elect the new Pope

New Delhi – While the people of the world are focusing on the funeral of the Pope John Paul II who passed away on April 2, the attention of the authorities in Vatican are already on the 116 cardinals who for the next couple of weeks will elect the new Pope in prayer and strict privacy.

The right to elect the Pope belongs exclusively to the cardinals under 80. The age is calculated on the day when the Apostolic See becomes vacant. Among the eligible cardinals are three Indians – Cardinals Ivan Dias of Bombay, Varkey Vithayathil of Ernakulam and Telephore Toppo of Ranchi.

No cardinal elector can be excluded from active or passive voice in the election of the Supreme Pontiff, for any reason or pretext.

The Conclave for the election of the Pope has to take place within the Vatican City, in determined areas and buildings, closed to unauthorized persons so as to ensure suitable accommodation for the cardinal electors.

Before the election process begins, all the cardinal electors must take up the rooms assigned to them in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, recently built in the Vatican City.

From the beginning of the electoral process until the public announcement of a new Pope, the entire Vatican City and the ordinary activity of the offices located inside it would come under strict control to help the cardinals conduct the election with due privacy and freedom.

The most sanitized areas would be Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Sistine Chapel and the areas earmarked for liturgical celebrations. They would remain out of bounds for unauthorized persons.

In particular, strict steps would be taken to prevent anyone from approaching the cardinals while they are being transported from the Domus Sanctae Marthae to the Apostolic Vatican Palace.

For the election, the cardinals would meet in the Basilica of Saint Peter's in the Vatican on a previously announced day after the funeral rites for the deceased Pope and completing the necessary preparations for the conclave. The election begins with the cardinals, in choir dress, assembling in Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace at a suitable hour in the afternoon to invoke the assistance of the Holy Spirit with the chant of the Veni Creator. After that, they will solemnly proceed to the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where the election will be held.

The Sistine Chapel is therefore to remain an absolutely enclosed area until the conclusion of the election, to ensure total secrecy with regard to everything said or done there in any way pertaining, directly or indirectly, to the election of the Pope.

In a special way, careful and stringent checks must be made, with the help of trustworthy individuals of proven technical ability, in order to ensure that no audiovisual equipment has been secretly installed in these areas for recording and transmission to the outside.

After all the cardinal electors take the oath, the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations will give the order Extra omnes, and all those not taking part in the Conclave must leave the Sistine Chapel.

The only ones to remain in the chapel are the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations and the ecclesiastic previously chosen to preach to the Cardinal electors the second meditation, concerning the grave duty incumbent on the cardinals.

The Cardinal Dean or the Cardinal who has precedence by order and seniority, will read aloud the following formula of the oath: "We, the Cardinal electors present in this election of the Supreme Pontiff promise, pledge and swear, as individuals and as a group, to observe faithfully and scrupulously the prescriptions contained in the Apostolic Constitution of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, Universi Dominici Gregis, published on 22 February 1996.

"We likewise promise, pledge and swear that whichever of us by divine disposition is elected Roman Pontiff will commit himself faithfully to carrying out the munus Petrinum of Pastor of the Universal Church and will not fail to affirm and defend strenuously the spiritual and temporal rights and the liberty of the Holy See.

"In a particular way, we promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting; we promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless explicit authorization is granted by the same Pontiff; and never to lend support or favour to any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention, whereby secular authorities of whatever order and degree or any group of people or individuals might wish to intervene in the election of the Roman Pontiff."

Each of the Cardinal electors, according to the order of precedence, will then take the oath according to the following formula:And I, N. Cardinal N., do so promise, pledge and swear. Placing his hand on the Gospels, he will add: So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand.