SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
London: Preparations have entered their final phase at the Vatican ahead of this week’s papal conclave, with the installation of the traditional chimney that will soon signal to the world whether the Catholic Church has elected a new pope.
Members of the Vatican’s fire brigade were seen on the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Friday, Rome time, attaching the chimney that will emit smoke from the ballots burned inside. It is the most visible part of a complex and secretive election process set to begin on May 7, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at age 88.
Members of the Vatican’s fire brigade attach the chimney to the roof of the Sistine Chapel.Credit: Vatican Media
A video released by the Vatican on Saturday, Rome time, showed workers preparing inside the Sistine Chapel for the conclave, including laying a temporary floor to level the space beneath Michelangelo’s famous frescoes. The chapel will host 133 cardinal-electors – the most to ever take part in a conclave.
Of the 252 cardinals gathered, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Among the electors are 27 cardinals from Asia and Oceania, many of whom were appointed during Pope Francis’s decade-long effort to shift the Church’s leadership away from its traditional European core.
The decision to begin the conclave on May 7, rather than the earliest possible date of May 5, was seen as a move to allow cardinals more time to build relationships. Many of them have never met.
“It was mentioned that a lot of people don’t know each other,” Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, said this week. “So maybe when they spoke, they could say where they are from.” He added that name badges had been introduced at the request of several cardinals.
Workers lay a temporary floor to level the space beneath Michelangelo’s famous frescoes.Credit: Vatican Media
In the lead-up to the conclave, daily meetings known as general congregations are being held inside Vatican City. Roughly 180 cardinals have attended the sessions, including nearly half who are too old to vote but are nonetheless making speeches on the future of the church. Topics discussed so far include church reform, sexual abuse and the legacy of Francis.
“The speeches help to put together a mosaic of the church around the world,” Nichols said. “As people talk about their own circumstances and their appreciation of the papacy of Pope Francis, it gives depth to the discernment.”
Among the voices shaping the direction of the conclave is that of German Cardinal Walter Kasper, 92, a staunch supporter of Francis’ liberal reforms. He described the massive turnout of mourners at the late Pope’s funeral as a signal of support for continuity.
“The people of God have voted with their feet,” Kasper told la Repubblica. “I’m convinced we need to push on along the path set down by Pope Francis.”
Workers prepare the Sistine Chapel for the conclave.Credit: Vatican Media
But his view is not universally shared. Another German, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, 77, warned that choosing a pope who continued Francis’ progressive tone could risk division within the church.
“We can’t keep putting mercy ahead of doctrine,” he told The Times.
Cardinals have been seen in recent days walking the streets around the Vatican, dining in restaurants and occasionally surprising Roman patrons. Two prelates were approached for blessings in a gelato bar.
Preparations for the conclave have entered their final phase.Credit: Vatican Media
Among those widely mentioned as potential frontrunners is Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state. In a homily before a crowd of 200,000 pilgrims last week, Parolin spoke of loyalty to Francis’ legacy – remarks widely interpreted as a tacit announcement of his candidacy.
“We must take on his legacy and make it the lives we live,” he said.
The average length of the past 10 conclaves was 3.2 days, and none went for more than five. The past two elections – in 2005 when Pope Benedict was picked and in 2013 when Francis emerged – were wrapped up in just two days.
Once voting begins, cardinals will cast up to four secret ballots a day. If a two-thirds majority – at least 89 votes – is not reached, the ballots are burned and black smoke is released. When consensus is achieved, white smoke will rise above the Sistine Chapel.
That signal may come as soon as May 9, according to Cardinal Baltazar Porras of Venezuela, who said he expected the process to take “between two and three days”.
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