Cardinals Launch Papal Selection With Ancient Rites

Draped in scarlet vestments, cardinals from across the globe gathered at the Vatican on Wednesday for a solemn moment of prayer before entering into seclusion to begin the sacred task of selecting the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

A total of 133 eligible cardinal electors have assembled to participate in the conclave — the ancient, confidential ritual that will determine the successor to Pope Francis, who passed away last month after serving for 12 years as the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

The day began with a final mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, after which the prelates retreated to the Vatican’s Pauline Chapel for quiet reflection. From there, they proceeded to the Sistine Chapel — just steps away, yet steeped in centuries of tradition — where the conclave was formally convened and the doors locked behind them.

Drawn from roughly 70 nations, many of the cardinals entered the process as strangers. Now, bound by faith and purpose, they carry the weight of a pivotal decision for the global Church.

There is no clear frontrunner to succeed the charismatic Argentine, with the cardinals representing a range of progressive and conservative traditions within the Church.

But the challenges facing the 2,000-year-old institution are clear.

At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, the new pope faces diplomatic balancing acts, as well as Church infighting, the continued fall-out from the clerical child abuse scandal, and — in the West — increasingly empty pews.

At the mass earlier, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals who himself is too old to vote, offered his peers some final advice.

“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” he said.

“This is also a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church… a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity.”

One cardinal described the decision facing the conclave as one of “exceptional importance,” urging his fellow electors to rise above all personal interests in pursuit of unity and divine guidance.

The morning mass marked the final public ceremony before the Church unveils its 267th pontiff — a moment that will unfold on the iconic balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica once a consensus is reached.

Historically, papal elections have varied widely in duration. While both Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI were chosen within 48 hours, history records a dramatically different precedent: the longest conclave, held between 1268 and 1271, spanned an extraordinary 1,006 days.

This year’s gathering is unprecedented in size, with 133 cardinal electors participating. The next pope will need to secure at least 89 votes — the required two-thirds majority — to ascend to the papacy.

Africa Today News, New York