Papal vote preparations start in earnest at Vatican amid scandal
Source: Agencies |
March 5, 2013, Tuesday
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THEY came, they took an oath of secrecy, and they agreed to send a message to the previous pope, whose resignation has thrown the church into turmoil and unleashed a new wave of scandals.
The cardinals meeting to choose the next pope started work yesterday on planning their conclave. Benedict XVI remained holed up at the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, his temporary retirement home while cardinals pick his successor.
And in a sartorial symbol of the impending transition, a tailor yesterday unveiled three new white papal cassocks - small, medium and large - that will be sent to the Vatican so the new pope has something to wear as soon as he's elected.
"We need to deliver these three garments before the conclave starts because obviously we cannot enter inside the conclave once it starts," tailor Lorenzo Gammarelli said.
Of the 115 cardinals who can vote, 103 were on hand for yesterday's inaugural pre-conclave meeting, which over the coming days will discuss the problems of the church and give the cardinals a chance to get to know one another better.
The fact that 12 more cardinals are still en route to Rome will mean a delay in setting a date for the conclave.
Among the first orders of business was the oath of secrecy each cardinal made, pledging to maintain "rigorous secrecy with regard to all matters in any way related to the election of the Roman Pontiff." The cardinals then agreed to send Benedict XVI a message on behalf of the group; the text was being worked on, the Vatican said.
The core agenda item is to set the date for the conclave and put in place the procedures to prepare for it.
The first day of discussion was rocked by revelations of scandal, with Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien admitting that he had engaged in sexual misconduct not befitting a priest, archbishop or cardinal.
O'Brien last week resigned as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and said he wouldn't participate in the conclave after four men came forward with allegations that he had acted inappropriately with them, the first time a cardinal has stayed away from a conclave because of personal scandal.
Separately, the Vatican is still reeling from the fallout of the scandal over leaked papal documents, and the investigation by three cardinals into who was behind it.
The cardinals meeting to choose the next pope started work yesterday on planning their conclave. Benedict XVI remained holed up at the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, his temporary retirement home while cardinals pick his successor.
And in a sartorial symbol of the impending transition, a tailor yesterday unveiled three new white papal cassocks - small, medium and large - that will be sent to the Vatican so the new pope has something to wear as soon as he's elected.
"We need to deliver these three garments before the conclave starts because obviously we cannot enter inside the conclave once it starts," tailor Lorenzo Gammarelli said.
Of the 115 cardinals who can vote, 103 were on hand for yesterday's inaugural pre-conclave meeting, which over the coming days will discuss the problems of the church and give the cardinals a chance to get to know one another better.
The fact that 12 more cardinals are still en route to Rome will mean a delay in setting a date for the conclave.
Among the first orders of business was the oath of secrecy each cardinal made, pledging to maintain "rigorous secrecy with regard to all matters in any way related to the election of the Roman Pontiff." The cardinals then agreed to send Benedict XVI a message on behalf of the group; the text was being worked on, the Vatican said.
The core agenda item is to set the date for the conclave and put in place the procedures to prepare for it.
The first day of discussion was rocked by revelations of scandal, with Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien admitting that he had engaged in sexual misconduct not befitting a priest, archbishop or cardinal.
O'Brien last week resigned as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and said he wouldn't participate in the conclave after four men came forward with allegations that he had acted inappropriately with them, the first time a cardinal has stayed away from a conclave because of personal scandal.
Separately, the Vatican is still reeling from the fallout of the scandal over leaked papal documents, and the investigation by three cardinals into who was behind it.
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