The Path Toward the Conclave

NEWS ANALYSIS: A push from most cardinals for ample discussion time delayed an originally fast-track plan for an early conclave.

Cardinals entering pre-conclave meetings March 5
Cardinals entering pre-conclave meetings March 5 (photo: Intermirifica.net)

VATICAN CITY — During these days of the cardinals’ pre-conclave meetings, two competing tendencies have emerged that ultimately led to a brief delay of the beginning of the conclave.

The exact date is expected to be announced tomorrow, on March 8, following the arrival today of the last of the 115 voting cardinals, Vietnam’s Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man.

A contingent of cardinals has pushed for a short period of pre-conclave meetings, followed by a quick conclave, beginning as early as March 10, to elect the next pope. But more cardinals have wanted a longer pre-conclave period to allow for ample time for informal discussions outside of the rigid etiquette of the formal meetings of the general congregations, thus postponing the beginning of the conclave.

Coincidentally, these two different modes of thought prominent among the cardinals of today mirror the attitudes present many years ago on the first day of the Second Vatican Council.

Benedict XVI recently recounted the climate of the first day of the Second Vatican Council during his last meeting with the Roman clergy on Feb. 14.

“On the program for this first day were the elections of the commissions, and lists of names had been prepared in what was intended to be an impartial manner, and these lists were put to the vote,” Benedict recalled. “But straight away, the [Council] Fathers said: ‘No, we do not simply want to vote for pre-prepared lists. ... Then, it was necessary to postpone the elections, because the Fathers themselves wanted to begin to get to know each other; they wanted to prepare the lists themselves.”

“It was not a revolutionary act, but an act of conscience, an act of responsibility, on the part of the Council Fathers. And so began an intense period of actively getting to know our counterparts, something which did not happen by chance,” said Benedict.

And now history seems to be repeating itself.

 

Cardinal Sodano’s Plan

The pre-conclave meetings are managed by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals. Formerly Vatican secretary of Ssate, Sodano retired under Benedict XVI’s pontificate, but he kept his influence as dean.

After Benedict XVI’s resignation, he prepared a strict schedule to follow in order to elect the new pope within a week or little more. Supportive of these efforts are members of the Roman Curia, who are considered “old establishment” cardinals, presumably worried by a lack of control on the conclave operations.

Members of the Curia had urged Benedict XVI, before his final day as pope, to promulgate amendments to Universi Dominici Gregis, the pastoral constitution that regulates the procedures of electing a pope. Benedict’s amendment to the constitution made it possible for the cardinals to begin the conclave before the 15 days of waiting previously required.

On March 4, the first day of the official pre-conclave meetings for cardinals, Cardinal Sodano planned two formal gatherings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

He apparently intended to keep this quick pace. The news website Korazym.org reported that at least four formal meetings were scheduled to be held on the second day of pre-conclave meetings, with papers delivered by the Secretariat of State, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for Eastern Churches and the Congregation for the Evangelization of People.

 

Important Conversations

Cardinal Sodano’s schedule didn’t endure past the first day.

The cardinals opted for open discussions among themselves, as opposed to tightly structured presentations. On March 4, 33 cardinals took the floor to provide their insights.

Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, reported that among the topics discussed were Curia reform, New Evangelization and interpretations of the Second Vatican Council.

“I think it’s at the coffee breaks that you can get individual conversations that go on,” said U.S. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston at a March 5 media briefing.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, put into perspective his reasons for slowing down the pace. “This is the most important decision we will ever make, and we need to give it the necessary time,” he said.

This view was shared by most of the cardinals gathered in Rome to elect the new pope. Thus, the formal pre-conclave meeting on March 5 and 6 only took place during the mornings, while the afternoons allowed for informal conversations.

Ultimately, the curial cardinals, sometimes called the “old guard,” have been delayed in their push for a quick conclave. For the newer cardinals (67 of the voting cardinals have been created by Benedict XVI in the last eight years), time together for reflection and discussion was far too important. The choice for the next pope depends on it.

Andrea Gagliarducci writes from Rome.