The Catholic Church has been able to follow the news of Pope Francis’s hospitalization and all that followed, including his recent funeral, via information sources that provide extremely timely updates, such that we remain informed by the hour. Once the conclave begins that will elect the successor to Pope Francis, the next occupant of the Chair of Peter, certainly anything approaching minute-by-minute coverage will not be available in the same way. 

Bishop Joel M. Konzen, S.M.

While the conclave is in session, there will be news media of every description attempting to glean the tiniest parcels of information from any reliable or unreliable source. We know, though, that until white smoke is seen rising from the area of the Sistine Chapel, there is no authoritative statement regarding who has been chosen as the new pope. In the meantime, most Catholics and many outside the church want to know more about the process of selecting a pope, an activity that happens only once every decade or two. 

The best description of the process of selecting a pope is available through Vatican News at www.vaticannews.va/en.html in an article entitled “What Happens After the Pope Dies?” Maximum secrecy guides the process, as all the cardinals who are eligible to vote—135 who are under the age of 80—must stay at the Casa Santa Marta residence and they are prohibited from sending messages of any kind. These cardinals are also required to forgo the reading of news media of any type. Their only occupation, in other words, is prayer and the consideration of the vote they will be taking. 

Cardinals who are 80 or beyond may take part in the conversations that are happening before the start of the conclave. Those who are electors take an oath promising that they will accept the choice if they are the one who is chosen, and the one chosen will be expected to offer a name almost as soon as his selection is made known to him. Our own former Archbishop, now Cardinal, Wilton Gregory is one of the cardinal electors and, presumably, has at least had to give some thought as to a name he would offer if he should be elected. 

The rest of us in the Catholic world might be engaging in speculation about who the new pope could be or where he might come from. The best thing that we could do, though, is to pray steadily that these custodians of our church’s mission may be relying mightily on the Holy Spirit to point the way forward. We seek always to learn from and to support the Holy Father, and we should therefore be praying that we will embrace this new Roman Pontiff from the beginning and look to make him a regular part of our personal prayer, in addition to his inclusion in the prayers of our Masses throughout the world. 

Until the white smoke is seen above the Sistine Chapel and the watching world emits a cheer, we will continue to pray for the repose of the soul of our recently deceased Servant of the Servants of God, Pope Francis. The beauty of our Catholic tradition is that each one of the 266 popes in the history of our church is remembered for the particular gifts that his spiritual and pastoral leadership has imparted. Some of that commemoration and evaluation is happening now regarding Pope Francis, and the church eagerly awaits becoming familiar with the contributions that the next successor to St. Peter will bring to his pontificate.  

May we devote ourselves to prayers of solemn memory at the same time that we chant together, “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love.”