[h=3]By STACY MEICHTRY[/h]
A general view of cardinals attending the mass in the St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday.
VATICAN CITY—One of Roman Catholicism's most influential churchmen called on Catholics to unite behind the next pope on Tuesday, as cardinals prepared to gather inside the Sistine Chapel and elect a new pontiff.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano—who, as dean of the College of Cardinals, has guided cardinals in secret talks leading up to the conclave—spoke inside the cavernous interior of St. Peter's Basilica in a carefully choreographed mass that belied the discord that has come to the fore in the wake of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation. In recent weeks, cardinals who have come from around to world to vote have publicly aired their grievances about the governance of the Roman Curia, the administrative body of the Vatican, pitting themselves against a coterie of colleagues who are longtime Vatican insiders.
[h=3]The Next Pope: Live Updates[/h]Follow the latest developments from Rome with photos, tweets, analysis and more.
[h=3]Catholicism in the World[/h]The world's Catholic population is concentrated in North and South America. Catholics account for the bulk of the population in South America and Southern Europe, but the cardinals under age 80, who will be voting on Benedict XVI's successor, are mostly from Europe.
Cardinal Sodano, a powerful Vatican cardinal who ran the Roman Curia under John Paul II, framed his homily by citing writings by the Apostle Paul, calling upon the church to "make every effort to keep the unity" and ensure it is "joined and held together by every supporting ligament."
"Each of us is therefore called to cooperate with the successor of Peter, the visible foundation of such an ecclesial unity," Cardinal Sodano said.
Before him, cardinals enrobed in crimson vestments sat in neat rows, occasionally breaking their silence to join the pews in applauding Benedict XVI who, though absent, was described by Cardinal Sodano as "beloved and venerable."
Cardinal Sodano isn't considered a contender for the papacy.
In the square outside St. Peters late on Tuesday morning, hundreds gathered around video screens broadcasting the mass. The crowd included a woman draped in the Brazilian flag and a man and his daughter holding a large Mexican flag.
The sun was shining and some spectators were shedding layers of clothes as the service began. But clouds gathered quickly, bringing rain and small hailstones, forcing people to take shelter under the massive colonnades lining the square for much of the mass.
On Tuesday evening, cardinals will walk in a procession to the Sistine Chapel, where they will begin the secret election under the looming fresco of Michelangelo's Last Judgment. After issuing an order in Latin of "extra omnes"—which means "everyone out"—the cardinals will cut off communication until they elect a new pope. For that to happen, the 115 cardinals need to form a majority of at least two thirds, or 77 votes.
Once the doors of the Sistine Chapel are locked, cardinals will likely take one vote on Tuesday evening before they retire to their lodgings at the Casa Santa Marta, inside Vatican City walls. But the cardinals are also free to delay the actual voting to Wednesday, a Vatican official said. A full day of voting includes the casting of ballots four times a day: twice in the morning and twice in the evening.
The process of casting ballots is painstaking. Each time the cardinals vote, they will proceed one by one to the chapel altar, where each will kneel in prayer before dropping his paper ballot into an urn. The ballots are then pierced with a needle and sewn together as they are counted.
If no majority is reached, the ballots are placed in a stove installed in the Sistine Chapel and burned to produce a plume of dark smoke. Once a pope is elected, the cardinals burn chemicals along with their ballots turning the paper into smoke white. That will inform the public waiting outside in St. Peter's Square that "Habemus Papam"—or "We have a Pope."
—John Stoll contributed to this article.Write to Stacy Meichtry at [email protected]
VATICAN CITY—One of Roman Catholicism's most influential churchmen called on Catholics to unite behind the next pope on Tuesday, as cardinals prepared to gather inside the Sistine Chapel and elect a new pontiff.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano—who, as dean of the College of Cardinals, has guided cardinals in secret talks leading up to the conclave—spoke inside the cavernous interior of St. Peter's Basilica in a carefully choreographed mass that belied the discord that has come to the fore in the wake of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation. In recent weeks, cardinals who have come from around to world to vote have publicly aired their grievances about the governance of the Roman Curia, the administrative body of the Vatican, pitting themselves against a coterie of colleagues who are longtime Vatican insiders.
[h=3]The Next Pope: Live Updates[/h]Follow the latest developments from Rome with photos, tweets, analysis and more.
[h=3]Catholicism in the World[/h]The world's Catholic population is concentrated in North and South America. Catholics account for the bulk of the population in South America and Southern Europe, but the cardinals under age 80, who will be voting on Benedict XVI's successor, are mostly from Europe.
Cardinal Sodano, a powerful Vatican cardinal who ran the Roman Curia under John Paul II, framed his homily by citing writings by the Apostle Paul, calling upon the church to "make every effort to keep the unity" and ensure it is "joined and held together by every supporting ligament."
"Each of us is therefore called to cooperate with the successor of Peter, the visible foundation of such an ecclesial unity," Cardinal Sodano said.
Before him, cardinals enrobed in crimson vestments sat in neat rows, occasionally breaking their silence to join the pews in applauding Benedict XVI who, though absent, was described by Cardinal Sodano as "beloved and venerable."
Cardinal Sodano isn't considered a contender for the papacy.
In the square outside St. Peters late on Tuesday morning, hundreds gathered around video screens broadcasting the mass. The crowd included a woman draped in the Brazilian flag and a man and his daughter holding a large Mexican flag.
The sun was shining and some spectators were shedding layers of clothes as the service began. But clouds gathered quickly, bringing rain and small hailstones, forcing people to take shelter under the massive colonnades lining the square for much of the mass.
On Tuesday evening, cardinals will walk in a procession to the Sistine Chapel, where they will begin the secret election under the looming fresco of Michelangelo's Last Judgment. After issuing an order in Latin of "extra omnes"—which means "everyone out"—the cardinals will cut off communication until they elect a new pope. For that to happen, the 115 cardinals need to form a majority of at least two thirds, or 77 votes.
Once the doors of the Sistine Chapel are locked, cardinals will likely take one vote on Tuesday evening before they retire to their lodgings at the Casa Santa Marta, inside Vatican City walls. But the cardinals are also free to delay the actual voting to Wednesday, a Vatican official said. A full day of voting includes the casting of ballots four times a day: twice in the morning and twice in the evening.
The process of casting ballots is painstaking. Each time the cardinals vote, they will proceed one by one to the chapel altar, where each will kneel in prayer before dropping his paper ballot into an urn. The ballots are then pierced with a needle and sewn together as they are counted.
If no majority is reached, the ballots are placed in a stove installed in the Sistine Chapel and burned to produce a plume of dark smoke. Once a pope is elected, the cardinals burn chemicals along with their ballots turning the paper into smoke white. That will inform the public waiting outside in St. Peter's Square that "Habemus Papam"—or "We have a Pope."
—John Stoll contributed to this article.Write to Stacy Meichtry at [email protected]