With the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, the Catholic Cardinals have come to the Vatican from every corner of the globe to meet in the privacy of the Sistine Chapel, as their predecessors have for centuries until they come to a two-thirds majority vote to elevate one of their own to the position of Pope of the Catholic Church. There are over 200 Cardinals, but only 133 qualify to be Pope and vote for a Pope. Age determines whether a Cardinal can be Pope, and a Cardinal must be less than 80 to enter the Sistine Chapel for the Conclave. The Conclave, or lockdown, was not always used for the election process. The longest election in history, following the death of Pope Clement IV in 1268, lasted almost three years. This long impasse prompted the Vatican to develop the Conclave, which Isolates the Cardinals until they elect a Pope. There are no speeches or debates in the Chapel. The votes are taken on paper ballots, and if there is no winner, the Cardinals move on to another vote. There are breaks for meals and sleep, and this is where the “lobbyists” go to work to convince others to get behind their man.
As a lifelong Catholic, I would like to believe this process is limited to a religious decision where the most qualified leader in the group is elevated to the top role, but that would be naive. The selection is a political process and decision. There are conservative and progressive Cardinals, and based on the success of the previous Cardinal, the vote is for continuity or change. In the case of finding a successor for Phillip, who was considered a socially progressive, the Cardinals will be pushing to elect a Pope of a similar ilk. Some will try to find a man to bring the Vatican and Catholic Church back to the center-right. A panel of four Cardinals is selected at random to preside over the process. Their role is primarily to count and record the votes in each round. They are to remain neutral and not influence the vote.
Hearing some Cardinals or experts talk about the “favorites” to succeed Phillip is interesting. The discussion is very similar to how we talk about Supreme Court Justices. The tone of many of the insiders talks about choosing a man who will guide the Church by the Word of the Bible and not the loose interpretation of the Word. Just like we Conservatives believe the Constitution is the definitive word, the kingmakers, or Pope-Makers in the Vatican, believe the Bible is The Word. If the College of Cardinals were to elect a Pope who believes in the tradition of the Church and the Word of the Bible, Catholics like me might drift back to the Church. If they choose a man who fits the WOKE needs of the progressives who trend towards blessing gay marriage and possibly relaxing beliefs on abortion, I’ll keep going to the Baptist Church on Sunday morning.