The transition from a Pope to the next can be a disconcerting moment for those who are not familiar with the functioning of the novel Catholic Church, and only for some who are.
The process is governed by hundred rules and traditions that come with their own vocabulary, largely in Latin. It is likely that the choice of a new Pope will develop approximately one or months, since a small group of Catholic Prateles decides on the next leader of a global flock of more than one billion faithful.
With the first papal transition in more than a decade in progress after the death of Pope Francis, here are some terms to know.
Conclave
This is the Cardinals meeting, established at the beginning of May 7, which will choose the next Pope. The word comes from the Latin “with key” and refers to the isolation imposed on men (and have always been men) while making their decision within the Vatican. They cannot leave the conclave hope in rare cases, and telephones, internet and newspapers are not allowed.
The cardinals vote for secret vote until a two -thirds majority is reached, and a new Pope is chosen. The process was recently dramatized in the movie “Concónimo”, that papal experts said they presented a fairly precise representation. (The New York Times has written about some of the possible contestants).
Cardinals College
The Cardinals, known as the “Princes of the Church”, are the second prelates Catholics of higher classification, and together they know as the Cardinals College. There are 252 cardinals, designated by the Pope to help him and advise him on Church’s affairs, and when a Pope dies, he falls into the university to choose a successor.
The word cardinal comes from the Latin “cardinalis”, which means “serving as hinge.”
The group is led by a Dean, a position currently occupied by Giovanni Battista Re, a 91 -year -old Italian who has spent most of his career in the Roman curia. It presides over the meetings that lead to the conclave but will not attend the meeting, since only cardinals under 80 years are eligible to vote for the Pope.
Camerlengo
The Camerlengo, designated by the Pope before his death, is a cardinal who manages the Vatican from the moment the pontiff dies until a successor is chosen and who supervises many of the transition tasks.
His duties include eliminating the Pope’s ceremonial ring, known as the fishermen’s ring, after his death, sealing his study and bedroom and presiding over his internment.
The Italian word comes from the medieval Latin “shrimp”, which means Chamberlain. Currently, the position occupies Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, a 77 -year -old American who was born in Ireland.
Vacant headquarters
This is the period between pontiffs and comes from a Latin phrase that means “the seat is empty.” Duration this time, with Camerlengo serving as a de facto administrator of the Vatican, the Cardinals College maintains the general supervision of the Church, but it is not allowed to make important decisions.
The longest vacancy, according to historian Salvador Miranda, was more than two years and seven months, the result of the invitation between the French and Italian features of the cardinals, and ended in 1271 with the election of Gregory X.
White smoke
After voting rounds in the conclave, the ballots are burned. Smoke wicks emerge from a fireplace on the Sistine Chapel, and spectators who meet with the external vigilance that the cardinals have made a decision.
If the smoke is black color, Meeaans are blocked. White smoke means that a new Pope has been chosen. Chemicals are used to change the color, although in 2005, the Vatican also began to sound the bells of the Basilica of San Pedro to confirm that a decision had been made.
‘Habemus Papam’
When a new Pope is chosen, he emerges, dressed in a white cassock, on a balcony of the Basilica of San Pedro. A Senior cardinal meets him and proclaims: “Habemus Papam”, a Latin phrase that means “we have a pope.”
