Pope has died

[Coogs]

No link. Watching Fox News on TV.

[DenverChief]

www.msnbc.com

[FloridaMan88]

I saw it on the bottom line on ESPN News of all places

[whoman69]

safe journey

[|Zach|]

I found this to be interesting.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7357490/page/2/

What is the procedure for electing the next pope?
Then, perhaps the most important moment after the death of the pope will be the Conclave. The Conclave is the procedure for electing the next pope. That has to happen no less than 15 days, and no more than 20 days, after the death of the pope. That is nothing less than 15 days out of respect to the previous pope, and no more than 20 days, so there is no delay in the process.

We are really dealing with a worldwide church now, so that it also gives time for cardinals to come and assemble from across the earth.

At the moment, there are 183 cardinals, or as they call them, “Princes of the Church.” Out of that number, 117 are eligible to vote for the next pope. The eligibility is based strictly on age. Since this pope came into office, he passed a church law that no one over the age of 80 can vote. At the moment, there are 66 cardinals are over the age of 80. Some of them won’t be attending the Conclave, or will be coming to the Vatican, because they are also frail or in ill health, like the pope.

So, there are 117 electors that will be choosing the next pope.

One interesting thing about the Conclave is that the word actually means "locked up" in Latin. The idea is that you lock these men up until they make a decision. The reason they had this initially was that during the Conclaves of old, the churchmen would gather together in a palace somewhere and be very comfortable – they would be fed and housed rather luxuriously. So, they would never make a decision because they weren’t interested in going anywhere else.

At one point in Italy they ran on so long -- for years -- that residents of a local village where they were staying ended up tearing off the roof of the palace to expose the cardinals to the elements and forcing them to make a decision.

So, there is some logic behind this ancient ritual. The idea is to get them to get moving because the church is without a pope, without someone sitting on the throne of St. Peter. So, the Conclave is intended to push them along in that process as delicately as possible.

What happens with the actual voting and sending out a signal via a plume of smoke out of the Vatican?
After any inconclusive vote they burn the ballots in a fireplace and add a chemical which turns the smoke black. But, if in fact they have elected a pope, then they will also burn the secret ballots, but without the chemical, and the smoke will come from the Sistine Chapel as white. That will alert the city of Rome, and indeed the world, that we have a pope.

Mind you, there have been instances in the past on an overcast day that the white smoke has looked black and people have said, "Oh, we don’t have a pope." And on other days when it’s been a dark, cloudy day, the black smoke has looked white. So, it is not a particularly fool-proof method.

It is about 15 minutes after the smoke appears that an announcement would be made on who is the next pope.

One last thing that I think is fascinating is that once the pope is elected and his name has been revealed to the College of Cardinals assembled in the Sistine Chapel, he goes to what is called the “Room of Tears.” It is a room where they have a number of different-size cassocks for the newly elected pope to put on before he meets the people of Rome and the world.

They call it the “Room of Tears” because several times newly elected popes have entered there and broken down in tears, realizing the responsibility that they have and the enormous burden they have just taken on to represent God on earth.

For many it has proved too much emotionally, momentarily, but nonetheless, too much. Subsequently, this small cloister, off the Sistine Chapel is now known unofficially among the Vatican hierarchy as the “Room of Tears.”

[TRR]

Originally Posted by ZachKC

I found this to be interesting.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7357490/page/2/

What is the procedure for electing the next pope?
Then, perhaps the most important moment after the death of the pope will be the Conclave. The Conclave is the procedure for electing the next pope. That has to happen no less than 15 days, and no more than 20 days, after the death of the pope. That is nothing less than 15 days out of respect to the previous pope, and no more than 20 days, so there is no delay in the process.

We are really dealing with a worldwide church now, so that it also gives time for cardinals to come and assemble from across the earth.

At the moment, there are 183 cardinals, or as they call them, “Princes of the Church.” Out of that number, 117 are eligible to vote for the next pope. The eligibility is based strictly on age. Since this pope came into office, he passed a church law that no one over the age of 80 can vote. At the moment, there are 66 cardinals are over the age of 80. Some of them won’t be attending the Conclave, or will be coming to the Vatican, because they are also frail or in ill health, like the pope.

So, there are 117 electors that will be choosing the next pope.

One interesting thing about the Conclave is that the word actually means "locked up" in Latin. The idea is that you lock these men up until they make a decision. The reason they had this initially was that during the Conclaves of old, the churchmen would gather together in a palace somewhere and be very comfortable – they would be fed and housed rather luxuriously. So, they would never make a decision because they weren’t interested in going anywhere else.

At one point in Italy they ran on so long -- for years -- that residents of a local village where they were staying ended up tearing off the roof of the palace to expose the cardinals to the elements and forcing them to make a decision.

So, there is some logic behind this ancient ritual. The idea is to get them to get moving because the church is without a pope, without someone sitting on the throne of St. Peter. So, the Conclave is intended to push them along in that process as delicately as possible.

What happens with the actual voting and sending out a signal via a plume of smoke out of the Vatican?
After any inconclusive vote they burn the ballots in a fireplace and add a chemical which turns the smoke black. But, if in fact they have elected a pope, then they will also burn the secret ballots, but without the chemical, and the smoke will come from the Sistine Chapel as white. That will alert the city of Rome, and indeed the world, that we have a pope.

Mind you, there have been instances in the past on an overcast day that the white smoke has looked black and people have said, "Oh, we don’t have a pope." And on other days when it’s been a dark, cloudy day, the black smoke has looked white. So, it is not a particularly fool-proof method.

It is about 15 minutes after the smoke appears that an announcement would be made on who is the next pope.

One last thing that I think is fascinating is that once the pope is elected and his name has been revealed to the College of Cardinals assembled in the Sistine Chapel, he goes to what is called the “Room of Tears.” It is a room where they have a number of different-size cassocks for the newly elected pope to put on before he meets the people of Rome and the world.

They call it the “Room of Tears” because several times newly elected popes have entered there and broken down in tears, realizing the responsibility that they have and the enormous burden they have just taken on to represent God on earth.

For many it has proved too much emotionally, momentarily, but nonetheless, too much. Subsequently, this small cloister, off the Sistine Chapel is now known unofficially among the Vatican hierarchy as the “Room of Tears.”

This reminds me of the book, Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown.

[Iowanian]

RIP.

Thanks for your service.

[Eleazar]

Rest in peace, did a lot of good.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

I'm not catholic, I'm not even Christian. However he was a good man, who did many good things. May he rest in peace.

[Braincase]

I am Catholic.

Somewhere, he's tilting a halo off to one side and saying, "OK, let's get back to work."

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by Braincase

I am Catholic.

Somewhere, he's tilting a halo off to one side and saying, "OK, let's get back to work."

Or perhaps "Damn I just wasted my entire life believing in a false truth"

Being the devils advocate here.

Anyway, I fully agree with chiefman420.

RIP

[Calcountry]

Originally Posted by chiefman420

I'm not catholic, I'm not even Christian. However he was a good man, who did many good things. May he rest in peace.

Amen & Amen to the bolded. Sometimes I am embarrased the Claim the name of Christian, but what other name can I rely on?

[Fairplay]

I was raised catholic and i still don't get it.

[RealSNR]

God rest his soul.

[DenverChief]

Just in case anyone missed it