Now that the conclave has started, it is anyone’s guess as to how long it will last or who will emerge from the Sistine Chapel as our next Holy Father. In the meantime, here are some infographics to give you a better idea of what’s going on as the cardinals begin voting. (Click on any […]
In 2005, while covering the conclave that elected Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, I told Laurie Goodstein at the New York Times: “Do not underestimate the power of the microculture that is generated among the cardinals when they are together. The kind of reflections that end up influencing them are completely unpredictable.” In other words, for […]
Last week EWTN News ran an article notifying you all that Cardinal Dolan has invited us to join him in praying a novena to St. Joseph for the election of the next Pope. The novena starts today and runs through St. Joseph’s feast day, March 19th. Cardinal Dolan has made the novena prayer available on […]
While the Italian press continues to promote an Italian for Pope, focusing on Cardinal Angelo Scola, the lists of the “papabili” are becoming as numerous as there are Vatican experts. Therefore, some numbers can be helpful in seeing who will actually be voting in the conclave that begins Tuesday evening. Cardinal electors: 115 (tied with […]
A few days ago, Hillary wrote a great blog post offering advice to secular journalists covering the upcoming conclave. I’d like to add my own thoughts, since this is a topic I find particularly troubling. So, all you reporters preparing to cover the papal election next week, here’s one more simple but important tip: 1). […]
Earlier this week, Swiss guards at the Vatican caught a fake bishop trying to sneak into the College of Cardinals’ general congregation meetings. The man, whose name is Ralph Napierski, had tied a fuchsia Pashmina scarf around his fake ecclesial robes, which Swiss guards noted were several inches too short. His fedora and tennis shoes also […]
Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, said yesterday that most of the cardinals are in no rush to get to the conclave, because they actually want to get it right. And thus the decision to prolong the general congregations – two of them have already been scheduled for Thursday – to think long and hard […]
With all eyes – including those of the secular media outlets – on the Church following the resignation of Benedict XVI, scandal, intrigue and gossip have been taken as fact in the days leading up to the conclave that will elect the next Supreme Pontiff. Amid widespread woeful ignorance and rampant misreporting, here are five […]
It was Miguel de Cervantes, the Spanish Shakespeare, who endeared the world to Don Quixote – a deluded old man who led futile charges against windmills thinking he was a knight in shining armor followed by loyal troops. At 84, Swiss theologian Hans Kung seems to be closer to Don Quixote than to the theological […]
Alas, the Associated Press has started a series profiling all those “papabili,” as determined by… the Associated Press. I can tell you already how their list of “papabili” will be put in place. The list will be “fair” to all ethnic groups and continents so that no one, as far as the Associated Press can […]