After the entry into force on the last day of February 2013 of the abdication of Benedict XVI, who held the papal throne for 8 years, from the rank of Pope (for the first time in 600 years!), The question arose of appointing a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Traditions of electing a pontiff
According to the canons of the Catholic Church, the period of time between the abdication of the current Pope from the throne (and often from the moment of his death) until the election of a new one is called Sede Vacante.
Usually this period does not exceed 20 days (in the 20th century there was not a single case with a longer period of time). However, the current Pope John Paul II in 1996 adopted an apostolic constitution called Universi Dominici Gregis, which corrected the process of electing the Roman pontiff. According to the document, the conclave cannot be convened earlier than 15 and later than 20 days from the moment the throne is declared vacant. No more than 120 cardinals under the age of 80 can vote. The final election of the Pope is considered valid if one of the candidates won two-thirds of the votes, however, no more than 4 can be held per day.voting.
Francis - Pope: how it was
On the eve of the election of a new pope, on February 25, Benedict XVI amended the charter to expedite the election of a successor, and on March 4, a meeting of members of the General Congregation of Cardinals was held in the Vatican, as a result of which a date for voting for a new pontiff was set.
On March 12, 2013, in the world-famous Sistine Chapel, where voting traditionally takes place, a conclave of 115 cardinals gathered to elect the Pope. Abdicated Benedict XVI did not take part in the meeting, which lasted 2 days.
On the first day, the conclave failed to elect a new pope, and as a sign of this, black smoke came out of the chimney of the chapel. The second vote also did not determine the successor of Benedict XVI, and again the pilgrims saw black smoke. The next day, the vote was positive, and at 19:05 white smoke appeared from the chimney of the Apostolic Palace - evidence of a successful vote.
At 20:05, the parishioners heard from Cardinal Protodeacon Jean-Louis Thoran the traditional phrase in such cases: Habemus papam (which means “we have a Pope”). He proclaimed Vicar of Christ 76-year-old Jorge Maria Bergoglio. After that, Francis, Pope of Rome, came out onto the balcony, taking the name in honor of his beloved Saint Francis of Assisi. In addition, the adherents of Franciscanism profess the covenants of goodness and brotherhood, which Jorge Maria Bergoglio adhered to. He was the first in the history of the Catholic Churchrepresentative of the New World, or rather, Argentina.
Pope Francis: biography
The newly elected head of the Catholic Church was born in December 1936 in a large family of Italian immigrants living in Buenos Aires. Despite his origins (Jorge Mario came from a working-class family), he devoted his life to serving the Lord.
First he studied chemistry at one of the universities in Buenos Aires, and then studied at the seminary in Villa Devoto. Upon graduation, in 1958, Bergoglio joined the ranks of the Jesuits. At the age of 33, the future Francis - Pope - was ordained. The main occupation of Jorge Mario was teaching theology, philosophy and literature at the university. In the 1970s, the current Pope Francis 1, who impressed the leaders of the Jesuit Society with his activities, became a provincial of Argentina, and in the 1980s he received the post of rector of the Seminary of St. Joseph.
Francis' career
Moving up the career ladder, Bergoglio was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and then ordained a bishop.
The dedication ceremony took place in the city's cathedral. Jorge Mario received the title from Cardinal Antonio Quarracino.
1998 brought Bergoglio a new title - this time he received the title of Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and after 3 years he was elevated to cardinals by Pope John Paul II.
In the 2005 elections, the name of Jorge Mario Bergoglio appeared in the so-called "papabile" - the list of main contendersto the papal throne. However, the choice fell on Benedict XVI.
Francis - Pope - is known as a multifaceted person, with a comprehensive conservative education. In addition to Spanish, he is fluent in German and Italian. The pontiff is known for speaking out against the legalization of euthanasia, abortion, marriage between supporters of sexual minorities and the adoption of children by such couples. This is the first Jesuit to head the papacy.
What is the new pontiff like?
Francis, Pope, leads a modest life.
During his life in his hometown, even being already in the rank of archbishop, Bergoglio traveled to the temple by metro, and lived in a modest one-room apartment.
After an invitation to Rome, he took only one suitcase, with which he began the journey to a new life.
Some astrologers and soothsayers claim that Francis is the last Pope, after whose death two Suns will appear in the sky and all living things will perish. This is allegedly evidenced by some of the prophecies of Nostradamus. However, skeptics cast doubt on such versions.
