Cardinals will gather at the Vatican to begin the process of electing a new pope on Wednesday.
The Catholic Church will hold its conclave after Pope Francis died at age 88 last month.
To discuss what to expect before white smoke billows from the Sistine Chapel, WAMC’s Lucas Willard spoke with Bishop William D. Byrne of the Springfield Diocese.
So, the process, you know, I was talking to a retired Cardinal who had previously participated in a conclave, and he was saying that it was nothing like the movie, that the movie was fiction, and that it's a very prayerful…it begins with mass. They're together, very serious about the process and prayer is laced and woven through the whole process. And so, I think that's the main takeaway, is that the it's not the politicking of a back room, but rather the electors on their knees, literally, discerning the will of God and what the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, what who would serve them best as a chief shepherd
Now, what kinds of factors and world events might be coming into focus when the electors actually undertake the action of selecting the next pope. What kinds of things might they be considering?
Well, I would say, you know, my speculation is the same as probably yours, but I think that global peace is a great concern. Food insecurity, these issues of the those who have been marginalized within our global community. The church exists to give a voice to the voiceless, whether it be the unborn or whether it be the prisoner or whether it be the refugee. And so, the concern of a church whose name really – Catholic means universal – is just that, it's not just protecting a particular border, but rather working for the dignity of the human person on a global scale.
Now the cardinal electors will actually vote in secret. Why is the vote secret?
Well, the vote is secret for the same reason that when you and I go to vote on Election Day, our vote is secret, so that we can do so freely. It's secret even among themselves. So, when they sit down to write their ballot, it's folded twice. It's put in the urn. Nobody knows for whom the cardinal voted, but also, I think, as a body, it gives them the capacity to have conversations that's not playing to an audience in the media, but rather playing to an audience that is the Holy Spirit, and allows the freedom to have discussions, to make decisions that will not be for public consumption.
Now, are you familiar with or do you know personally, any of the 10 American cardinal electors that will be involved?
I know them all. Yes.
Have you spoken with them about any of the past conclaves?
I'm trying to think…many of them had not voted in the past conflict. So, the ones that I knew, I know I had spoken to a few cardinals who are now retired, and they spoke about that, as I mentioned before, that the prayerful process. So, for them, this is a new experience, also for many of the Americans.
And, Bishop Byrne, how long do you expect this process to take?
Your guess is as good as mine. You know, in the past, the they've taken, you know, within three to five days, we've had a decision. And so, my hope is, is that it'll be something within that time frame and we'll see the white smoke and the excitement in the square when we hear the words “habemus papam,” we have a pope. And so, with that joyful news, the church will then move into a new chapter.
And Bishop Byrne, just one current events question. What do you think of the president posting an image of himself dressed as the pope?
I thought it was disrespectful. I thought it was a bad taste. I can't imagine that he would dress up as a religious leader in another faith and get away with it, or find it funny. And so, I think what Bishop Robert Barron said, it was a joke that fell flat. And I think maybe he should worry about running a country and not trying to pose clever memes.
