White smoke on the horizon

Wow, these are exciting times in our Roman Catholic Church!  Our cardinals go into conclave on Tuesday to begin an election for a new pope.  An interesting note about the word conclave -  Origin: French from conclave, a room that may be locked up; con- + clavis key.

The election of popes has a storied and colorful history.

From Wikipedia:  To resolve prolonged deadlocks in the earlier years of papal elections, local authorities often resorted to the forced seclusion of the cardinal electors, such as that first adopted by the city of Rome in 1241.  In 1269, when the forced seclusion of the cardinals alone failed to produce a pope, the city of Viterbo refused to send in any materials except bread and water. When even this failed to produce a result, the townspeople removed the roof of the Palazzo dei Papi in their attempt to speed up the election.  

In an attempt to avoid future lengthy elections, Gregory X introduced stringent rules with the promulgation of Ubi periculum. Cardinals were to be secluded in a closed area and not accorded individual rooms. No cardinal was allowed, unless ill, to be attended by more than two servants. Food was supplied through a window to avoid outside contact.  After three days of the conclave, the cardinals were to receive only one dish a day; after another five days, they were to receive just bread and water. During the conclave, no cardinal was to receive any ecclesiastical revenue. 

Hmm...imagine being locked up until you come out with the answer.  What if we locked ourselves into a room while discerning religious life until we had the answer?  Not a good idea most probably...forced discernment isn’t proper discernment.  Besides, it took me three years to discern...I would have starved by then!

I must say, having been in the Sistine Chapel in 2008, if you are a Cardinal that must be an incredible place to sit and muse who should lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.  The Last Judgment Scene that covers the wall behind the altar is a rather terrifying scene.  In the centre of the lower section are the angels of the Apocalypse who are waking the dead to the sound of long trumpets. On the left the risen recover their bodies as they ascend towards heaven (Resurrection of the flesh), on the right angels and devils fight over making the damned fall down to hell. Finally, at the bottom Charon with his oars, together with his devils, makes the damned get out of his boat to lead them before the infernal judge Minos, whose body is wrapped in the coils of the serpent.

If one seriously meditates on that, one would not take the election of supreme pontiff lightly.  

The stories in the Gospel remind us that sinners have always been in the church and will continue to be in the church, including our leaders.   My spiritual director related a story (not sure if it is true or not) about Pius VII and Napoleon.  Supposedly Napoleon had threatened to ‘bring down the church’ to which Pius VII replied, “If our priests have not managed to bring down the church in all these centuries, you will not be able to either.”  

The church is made of sinners and saints; mostly sinners.

Let's pray for wisdom and guidance for the Cardinals as they go into conclave on Tuesday.  

May they elect the man who can best guide us mostly sinners on our earthly journey to the Kingdom.