If someone itchies, that scratches and accurate, Instead of making itchy gossip on the conclave - If Anyone Itches, let him scratch himself and keep quiet, rather than gossip about the Conclave

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(English text after the Italian)

If someone itchies, That scratches and accurate, Instead of doing itchy gossip on the conclave

The church, disoriented and lost, lives in an irreversible state of decline, We have long overcome the threshold of non-revival. Today's church is no longer in Gethsemani, Not even on the cross on the Calvary, is experiencing the moment in its most dramatic way: that silence that seems almost a total absence of God.

- Church news -

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Several readers have written to our editorial staff To ask why we haven't written anything about the vacant office and on the conclave now at the gates.

 

The church, disoriented and lost, lives in an irreversible state of decline, We have long overcome the threshold of non-revival. Today's church is no longer in Gethsemani, Not even on the cross on the Calvary, is experiencing the moment in its most dramatic way: that silence that seems almost a total absence of God. A space of time ranging from the sunset on the Holy Friday to the Sunday of Resurrection. Between the closure of the sepulcher and the empty sepulcher of the Risen One, a sort of divine empty is experienced, before which the only appropriate thing is that silence that cannot be understood and lived except through faith, hope and charity.

Everyone knows how to talk, Species in turn, Few keep silent and live that great silence that leads us to the resurrection. There are those who cannot keep silent and play to the gossip of the Toto-Papa in a whole world dimension, who instead includes the importance of silent, In a dimension all mystagogical.

I can therefore only re -propose, following, what has already been written in the second part of my article published in 2 March, while the deceased Augustus Pope was hospitalized at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome between life and death: «And if the Simonia were back in vogue to the next conclave?» (cf.. WHO).

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Everyone has their own style, single or collective. In the first, as in the second case, It can be spontaneous, or studied at the table. The Fathers of the Island of Patmos, During their ten years of publicity activity, Starting from October 2014, several times for opportunities, Others for virtue of prudence, have given up on dealing with certain emerging issues related to the Church and the Papacy, Being first of all presbyters; editors and publicists to follow, But forward at all presbyters. Certain themes may require not to be silent, or worse hidden, but treated when you have more cognitive elements that can lead to a truthful, fair judgment.

When the doors of the Sistine Chapel will close, The church will have to deal with the various problems left inheritance by this pontificate, which remains judged overall only by history, perhaps even in many years. The Supreme Pontiff Francesco was elected after an act of renunciation by his predecessor, Rare event result for all of us traumatic, especially for the unhappy ways chosen at the time by Benedict XVI, complete with an extravagant invention of the "Emeritus Papacy", or of sviant terms as "extended papacy", "Active papacy and contemplative papacy" ...

That of the Holy Father Francis It is a pontificate that is placed in a social and geopolitical context of great decadence on a planetary level, With a sceristianization of Europe that has already reached irreversible levels for twenty years. Elsewhere, an bleeding of faithful was consumed in what were once the two lungs with which Catholicism breathed: Latin America and Africa. Francesco's was a pontificate full of problematicities, made of ambiguity and lack of clarity, There are no lack of forms of despotism put in place in the total contempt of ecclesiastical laws and rules. Deny that this pontiff will leave a confused church, divided and quarrelsome due to open processes on all fronts, based on the unusual principle that "the important thing is to open the processes" without however concluding and bringing them to full fulfillment, It means denying the most clear evidence of the facts. But, Those who tell us that in several years will not have to be made thanks to Francesco's pontificate for having preserved and saved the Church by problems and damage that without his action, not understandable on the spot, they would have been greater, or even irreparable? Francesco is a complicated man who fits as such in a very complicated historical moment, any judgment given to the present on him and his pontificate could be completely wrong tomorrow. Certain expressions or decisions judged as eccentric - and in fact they are -, how completely different could appear tomorrow? It wouldn't be the first time that certain men, not included at the moment in their action, they were subsequently celebrated as a personality that were on decades compared to the present time in which they lived. That's why sometimes, just when you are perplexed, disoriented and suffering for certain ambiguous attitudes and not easy even to decipher, while exercising the legitimate critical sense it deserves prudentially suspend the judgment.

One of the serious problems that this pontificate will leave to the next conclave it is given by the fact that the cardinal voters do not know each other among them. The last secret consistory took place in 2015. Let's clarify: The Consistor is the assembly of the cardinals convened by the Roman Pontiff and can be secret, public, semi-public (see WHO). The one in which only the cardinals gathered to discuss in private form are called "secret", i.e. secret, with the Supreme Pontiff, Regarding the various problems of the Church and its government. Today, to the serious problem of cardinals who do not know each other among them, Another unknown to the secularists of the international left who magnify the poor church for the poor adds it, so much poverty excites them in the houses and on the skin of others, praising this pontificate that would have appointed dozens of cardinals "from the suburbs of the world" and "from the poorest countries". We fly over the scarce doctrinal and theological formation by several of these sant'Uomini from those privileged situations for which today a cardinal purple can be deserved: "The suburbs" ... "poor countries"… Several of these cardinals are bishops of countries where the presence of Catholics cannot be called even a small minority: on the island of Tonga, whose bishop Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi is, The baptized Catholics are about 10.000. Cardinal was created in the 2020, at the age of just 46 year old, Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Vicar of Mongolia, where Catholics count 1.200 baptized on 3.300.000 inhabitants. These cardinal voters, Emblem of the "poor church for the poor" of the various "existential suburbs", they govern local churches that can survive and live in contexts of great discomfort and authentic poverty thanks to the donations that come to them as rich local churches, or by large foundations dependent or related to them. To be understood: A single Austrian parish, German, Australian, Canoeing About, North American … It can maintain an entire diocese alone in certain poor countries of Latin America, of Asia and Africa, where the relationship between the euro and the dollar and their national currency is totally disproportionate in purchase value.

Tomorrow, in the Sistine Chapel, a group of cardinals from these countries, rigorously chosen among the exponents of the so -called more advanced progressiveness, With delicate ease they will make people understand that the cords of the bag hold them, leaving dozens of "poor-peripheral-existential" cardinals the obligatory choice played on the survival of local churches that can live only thanks to external aid. Of course, once this was called simonia, Today it is called instead "poor church for the poor".

At present, the poor so exalted in this pontificate they were left hostage of the whims of the rich as never before, After giving life to a college of cardinal voters who do not represent the various items, The most diverse opinions and positions that have always enriched the church inside, but an univocal voice, monocorde e, not last: ruffiana. And among the various damage perpetrated, This will perhaps be the worst, because weighs as a heavy mortgage like lead on the next conclave. This with all due respect to the poor Church, that inside the Sistine chapel will beat the poor with the cords of the bag of the most progressive and more ideologized rich. And someone even called it "poor church for the poor".

From the island of Patmos, 5 May 2025

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IF ANYONE ITCHES, LET HIM SCRATCH HIMSELF AND KEEP QUIET, RATHER THAN GOSSIP ABOUT THE CONCLAVE

The Church, disoriented and lost, lives in a state of irreversible decadence, we have long since passed the threshold of no return. The Church of today is no longer in Gethsemane, not even on the cross on Calvary, it is living the most dramatic moment in its way: that silence that seems almost a total absence of God.

— Ecclesial actuality —

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Several Readers have written to our editorial staff asking why we have not written anything about the Sede Vacante and the Conclave now upon us.

The Church, disoriented and lost, lives in a state of irreversible decadence, we have long since passed the threshold of no return. The Church of today is no longer in Gethsemane, not even on the cross on Calvary, it is living the most dramatic moment in its way: that silence that seems almost a total absence of God. A space of time that goes from sunset on Good Friday to Easter Sunday. Between the closing of the tomb and the empty tomb of the Risen One, a sort of divine emptiness is experienced, before which the only appropriate thing is that silence that cannot be understood and lived except through faith, hope and charity.

Everyone knows how to speak, especially inappropriately, few know how to keep quiet and live that great silence that leads us to the resurrection. There are those who cannot remain silent and gossip by playing predictions about the future pope, in a completely worldly dimension, and those who understand the importance of remaining silent, in a completely mystagogical dimension.

I can therefore only repeat, below, what I have already written in the second part of an article of mine published on March 2, while the deceased August Pontiff was hospitalized at the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome between life and death: «And if simony were to come back into fashion at the next conclave?» (See HERE)

Everyone has their own style, individual or collective. In the first, as in the second case, it can be spontaneous, or studied on the table. The Fathers of this magazine The Island of Patmos , during ten years of journalistic activity, starting from October 2014, several times due to opportunity, other times due to the virtue of prudence, have renounced dealing with emerging themes linked to the Church and the Papacy, being first and foremost presbyters ; editors and publicists to follow, but presbyters ahead of everything. Certain topics may require to be dealt with when there is greater knowledge that can lead to a truthful, fair and balanced judgement.

 

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When the doors of the Sistine Chapel close, the Church will have to deal with the various problems left as a legacy by this pontificate, which remains judgeable, overall, only by history, perhaps even many years from now. The Supreme Pontiff Francis was elected after an act of renunciation by his predecessor, a rare event and a traumatic for all of us, especially due to the unfortunate methods chosen at the time by Benedict XVI, complete with the extravagant invention of the «emeritus papacy», or misleading terms such as «enlarged papacy», «active papacy and contemplative papacy» (!?)…

That of the Holy Father Francis is a pontificate that takes place in a social and geopolitical context of great decadence on a global level, with a de-Christianization of Europe that has already reached irreversible levels for twenty years. Elsewhere a hemorrhage of faithful has taken place in what were once the two lungs with which Catholicism breathed: Latin America and Africa.

Francis’ pontificate was full of problems, ambiguities and lack of clarity, there were also forms of despotism in total contempt of ecclesiastical laws and rules. To deny that this Pontiff will leave a confused, divided and quarrelsome Church due to trials open on all fronts, based on the unusual principle that «the important thing is to open the trials», without however concluding them and bringing them to full completion, is to deny the clearest evidence of the facts. However, who tells us that in several years we will not have to thank the pontificate of Francis for having preserved and saved the Church from problems and damage which without his actions, not understandable at the time, would have been greater, or even irreparable? Francis is a complicated man who fits into a very complicated historical moment, any judgment given in the present about him and his pontificate, could be completely wrong tomorrow.

It would not be the first time that certain men, not understood at the time in their actions, were later celebrated as extraordinary personalities who were decades ahead of the present time in which they lived. This is why sometimes, precisely when one is perplexed, disoriented and grieve for certain ambiguous attitudes and not even easy to decipher, despite exercising legitimate critical sense, is necessary and prudently suspending judgement..

One of the serious problems this pontificate will leave for the next conclave is this: tthe cardinal electors do not know each other. The last secret consistory took place in 2015. Let’s clarify: the consistory is the assembly of cardinals convened by the Roman Pontiff and can be secret, public, semi-public. What is called “secret” is that in which only the cardinals gathered to discuss in a private, i.e. secret, form with the Supreme Pontiff participate, regarding the various problems of the Church and its government. Today, to the serious problem of the cardinals who do not know each other, there is another one unknown to the secularists of the international left who glorify «the poor Church for the poor», so much does poverty in the homes and on the lives of others excites them, praising this pontificate which has appointed dozens of cardinals «coming from the peripheries of the world» and «from the poorest countries».

Let us not dwell the poor doctrinal and theological training of several of these holy men coming from those privileged situations for which today they can deserve a cardinal’s purple: «the suburbs» … «the poor countries». Several of these cardinals are bishops of countries where the presence of Catholics cannot be defined as even a small minority: on the island of Tonga, of which Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi is bishop, there are around 10,000 baptized Catholics. Giorgio Marengo, apostolic vicar of Mongolia, where Catholics number 1,200 baptized out of 3,300,000 inhabitants, was created cardinal in 2020, at the age of just 46. These cardinal electors, emblem of the «poor Church for the poor» of the various «existential peripheries», govern local churches that can survive and live in contexts of great hardship and authentic poverty thanks to the donations that come to them from rich local churches, or from large foundations on linked to them. To be clear: a single Austrian, German, Australian, Canadian or North American parish can maintain an entire diocese in certain poor countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, where the relationship between the Euro and the Dollar and their national currency is totally disproportionate in terms of purchase value.

Tomorrow, in the Sistine Chapel, a group of cardinals from these countries, rigorously chosen by Holy Father among the exponents of the so-called most advanced progressivism, will with delicate ease make it clear that they hold the purse strings, leaving dozens of “poor-peripheral-existential” cardinals the forced choice based on the survival of their local churches that can only live thanks to external aid. Of course, once this was called simony, today it is instead called «poor church for the poor».

At present the poor so exalted in this pontificate have been left hostage to the whims of the rich as they had never been before, after having given life to a College of cardinal electors who do not represent the various and noumerous voices, opinions and positions that have always enriched the Church internally, but a single, monotonous voice. And among the various damages perpetrated, this will perhaps be the worst, because it weighs like a lead-heavy mortgage on the next conclave. With all due respect to the poor Church, which inside the Sistine Chapel will strangle the poor, with the purse strings by rich most progressive and ideologicalized.

From The Island of Patmos, May 5, 2025

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When you are old another will bring you where you don't want to

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

WHEN YOU ARE OLD SOMEONE ELSE WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU DON'T WANT

In the Synoptic Gospels Peter, After being scolded and accused of being like Satan, receives a second call, Similar to that of Abraham in Gen 22, After that of Gen 12: “If someone wants to come behind me deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.

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Towards the end of the first century someone integrates the Gospel of John with his current chapter 21, even if the work seemed already finished in the previous one, that of the apparitions of the Risen One.

This is explained by the fact that times were rapidly changing for the church, with the signs of the first differentiations within it and the formation of a primitive, specifically Christian literature. More, allows the writing to be glimpsed, the death of two great apostles had occurred: Peter and the beloved disciple, the inspiring source of that Gospel. Today we read only a section of the chapter 21, but to understand its scope it is advisable to read it all. Here's the song.

"During that time, Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples on the Sea of ​​Tiberias. And it manifested itself like this: they were together Simon Pietro, Thomas known as Didymus, Nathanael of Cana of Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples. Simon Peter told them: “I'm going fishing”. They told him: «We're coming with you too». Then they went out and got into the boat; but that night they took nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them,: “children, you have nothing to eat?”. They answered: “No”. Then he told them: “Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find”. They threw it away and could no longer lift it due to the large quantity of fish. Then that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: “It is the Lord!”. Simon Pietro, as soon as he heard that it was the Lord, she tightened her dress around her waist, because he was undressed, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples instead came by boat, dragging the net full of fish: in fact they were not far from the ground except a hundred meters. As soon as I got off the ground, they saw a fire of embers with fish on them, and some bread. Jesus told them: “Bring some of the fish you caught now”. Then Simon Peter got into the boat and brought the net full of one hundred and fifty-three large fish to land. And although there were many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them,: «Come and eat». And none of the disciples dared to ask him: “Who are you?”, because they knew well that it was the Lord. Jesus approached, he took bread and gave it to them, and so is the fish. It was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples, after rising from the dead. When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter: “Simone, son of John, you love me more than these?”. She answered him: “Of course, man, you know that I love you”. He told him: “Feed my lambs”. She told him again, for the second time: “Simone, son of John, what is?”. She answered him: “Of course, man, you know that I love you”. He told him: “Graze my sheep”. He said to him the third time: “Simone, son of John, you love Me?”. Peter was saddened that he asked him for the third time: "You love Me?», he said: “man, you know everything; you know that I love you” Jesus answered him: “Feed my sheep. In truth, truly I tell you: when you were younger you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and take you where you don't want”. This he said to indicate by what death he would glorify God. E, said this, he added: “Follow me”» (GV 21,1-19).

The first thing that catches your eye approaching the chapter 21 of the fourth Gospel are the many clues that recall the first three Gospels, as if the Johannine tradition wanted to interact with the other, majority, contained in the Synoptic Gospels. May, indeed, in the fourth Gospel, it is said that the apostles were fishermen or the profession of fishing is insisted on there, which instead is greatly underlined by the synoptic gospels. An activity that these Gospels concentrate in Galilee, while John prefers the preaching and activity of Jesus in Judea. And now this scene is placed near the lake, where according to the synoptics the disciples fished, but called of «Tiberias» as in San Giovanni (GV 6, 1): a clear reference to the place where Jesus had fed the people with loaves and fish. We also note the identification of James and John as "sons of Zebedee", of clear synoptic derivation. Conversely, the passage does not forget the "beloved disciple" behind whom tradition has always seen the apostle John, the one who bowed his head on Jesus' chest at the last supper, who preceded Peter to the tomb and now here in recognition of the Risen One. And finally Pietro who appears as the main protagonist, except for the Risen One, but not with the nickname of Cephas as he is called in the Johannine Gospel and in the Pauline letters (cf.. GV 1,42; 1Color 1,12;3,22), but of Simone, according to the use that we find very frequently in the synoptics (Mt 4,18; MC 1,16; LC 4,38).

All these peculiarities allow us to affirm without a shadow of a doubt that this addition to the Gospel is seeking a dialogue that results in a request from tradition dating back to the beloved disciple, alias Giovanni, to have the same rank, to be placed at the same level as the synoptic one, which traditionally can be traced back to the preaching of the other apostles which Simon Peter summarizes here with his mere presence. In passing I remember that an ancient piece of news dating back to Papias of Gerapolis (+130 d.C.) links Peter to the Gospel of St. Mark, as the First Letter of that apostle also points out: «The community that was chosen like you and dwells in Babylon greets you [Rome, ndr.]; and also Marco, my son" (1 PT 5,13). The other tradition, instead, is here represented by the presence of Thomas who connects the readers to the previous chapter where he was the protagonist with his beautiful profession of faith, by the disciple Nathanael who appears at the beginning of the Fourth Gospel and here it is specified that he was from Cana where Jesus performed the first of the signs and by James and John themselves, however called "sons of Zebedee" as in the synoptics and remembered there as fishermen and partners of Simon.

We are in the early days of the life of the Church and the otherness is already taking shape, that is, the diversity of points of view on the Christian mystery, who wish to harmonize and not exclude each other. The synoptics are recalled with their insistence on sequela, the «You follow me» of GV 21,22, without neglecting to remain, which marks the profound life of the Son of God and of the disciple in the Johannine Gospel: «If I want him to stay until I come, what does it matter to you?» (GV 21,23). A lesson that comes to the contemporary Church from the ancient one and which is particularly good for it, especially today which needs to rediscover communion and brotherhood within itself and not division. There are four Gospels, different from each other and although they narrate the same object, they depend on the originality of the authors who dialogue with each other and refer to each other, sometimes they depend, so much to train, according to a fortunate expression of Irenaeus of Lyon, «The fourfold gospel».

In the Gospel story some topics dear to Saint John return such as the fact that the group of disciples does not recognize the Risen Lord or His presence remains in the night, so much so that fishing, in this case a symbol of apostolic activity and the attraction of people in the Church, it is fruitless or even nothing: «Then they went out and got into the boat; but that night they took nothing" (GV 21,3). But in the light of day an as yet unidentified Jesus invites them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. Here we see the reference to the prophecy of Ezekiel who saw water coming out from the right side of the temple which gradually increased, so much so that it became a huge torrent: «That water went down under the right side of the temple, from the southern part of the altar... On its banks there will be fishermen: from Engàddi to En-Eglàim there will be an expanse of nets. The fish, according to their species, they will be as abundant as the fish of the Great Sea" (This 47, 1-10).

The same prophecy that John sees it come true under the cross: Jesus dead, hit by the spear, it becomes the eschatological temple from which the water of the Spirit flows onto the nascent Church, represented there by the Mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple. Who, instead, it is the now Easter church that casts the net to attract people to Christ in the Church. Very briefly and quickly we need to mention the difference in our passage between the term stroke, fish, used by Giovanni for that catch, symbol of the new believers being pulled into the boat and the term opsarion, of fish, which is instead the fish of the meal, to which Jesus invites the disciples who have come ashore. I also remember the spring of Eglàim which was mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy mentioned above. It is located near the salty waters of the Dead Sea, which are healed by those that the prophet sees coming out of the temple and growing. Now the numerical value of Eglàim according to the calculation of Gematria — the system used in Judaism to assign numerical values ​​to letters and, Consequently, to words and sentences — it's really about 153, as many as the big fish that Peter and the others catch, that is, at this point we can say it, they save. And the net was not broken says Saint John using the verb schizo, sliver, hence the term schism, the same verb he used for Jesus' useless tunic under the cross, which for the Greek fathers was immediately an image of the unity of the Church.

And finally the apostle Peter. He learns what it means to truly follow Jesus. In the Synoptic Gospels Peter, After being scolded and accused of being like Satan, receives a second call, similar to that of Abraham in Genesis 22, After that of Gen 12: “If someone wants to come behind me deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Because who will want to save their life, will lose it; but whoever will lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, will save her » (MC 8,34-35). Thus in the Gospel of John Peter receives an invitation to follow, after what had happened on the night of the passion. Thanks to the essential testimony - «It is the Lord!» — of the beloved disciple and therefore also of the evangelical tradition that refers to him, Pietro, right away, he throws himself from the boat to meet him and the Gospel tells us of yet another conversion of this extraordinary Apostle, through a very significant play on verbs. In Greek the verb fillet expresses the love of friendship, tender but not all-encompassing, while the verb agapáo designates unreserved love, total and unconditional. Jesus asks Peter the first time: «Simone, you love Me (agapâs me)», that is, according to this total and unconditional love (GV 21,15)? Before the experience of betrayal the impulsive Apostle would certainly have said: "I love you (agapô I know) unconditionally". Now that he has known the bitter sadness of infidelity and his own weakness, he says humbly: "Man, I love you (filo)», or "I love you with my poor human love". Christ insists: «Simone, you love me with this total love?». And Peter repeats the response of his humble human love: «Kyrie, filo», "Man, I love you as much as I know". But the third time Jesus only says to Simon: «Fileîs me?», «you love me?». Simon understands that his poor love is enough for Jesus, the only one he is capable of, and yet he is saddened that the Lord had to tell him this. So he answers him: "Man, you know everything, you know that I love you (filo)». One might say that Jesus conformed to Peter, instead of Peter to Jesus.

It is precisely this divine adjustment to give hope to the disciple Peter, but also to us when we have known the suffering of infidelity. From here comes the trust that will make Peter capable of following him to the end: «This he said to indicate with what death he would glorify God. And having said this he added: «Follow me» (GV 21,19). From that day Peter "followed" the Master as a true disciple with the precise awareness of his own fragility; but this awareness did not discourage him. In fact, he knew he could count on the presence of the Risen One next to him. From the naive enthusiasm of initial membership, passing through the painful experience of denial and the tears of conversion, Peter came to entrust himself to that Jesus who adapted to his poor capacity for love. And it is precisely love that defines and will distinguish his task and service in the Church from then on.

From the Hermitage, 4 May 2025

 

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

 

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When the Roman Pontiff dies. Short historical-liturgical excursus-When the Roman Pontiff Dies. A brief historical-liturgical excursus

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When the Roman Pontiff dies. BRIEF EXCURSION HISTORICAL-LITURGICAL

Every Pope, in his role of vicar of Christ, does not belong entirely to itself; This is evident in particular when death arrives. In the recent past, hardly, the Popes managed to die in peace, in the silence, away from prying eyes or preamble rituals. A Pope almost never passed away alone but, like an ancient ruler, he was surrounded by his courtiers.

— Liturgical ministry —

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Author
Simone Pifizzi

 

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The death of the Roman Pontiff it is a particular moment for the life of the Catholic Church; a technically defined passage Apostolic See vacant, which brings with it a set of acts, of events and rituals that, by their nature, they are one of a kind.

We do not want to make a systematic treatment of it here, but rather touch, also through recourse to history, some liturgical and ritual aspects that passed before our eyes on the occasion of the death of Pope Francis.

Dying as a Pope. The first station

Every Pope, in his role of vicar of Christ, does not belong entirely to itself; This is evident in particular when death arrives. In the recent past, hardly, the Popes managed to die in peace, in the silence, away from prying eyes or preamble rituals. A Pope almost never passed away alone but, like an ancient ruler, he was surrounded by his courtiers. At the first signs of agony, indeed, a series of detailed ceremonial actions were set in motion that accompanied the Pontiff towards his earthly end.

First thing first all the cardinals resident in Rome were notified, as well as all the holders of the various Dicasteries of the Holy See; and a silent procession began in front of the dying man to pay him his last respects. The Anointing of the Sick and the Viaticum were administered by the Cardinal Vicar, while it was the task of the penitentiaries and canons of the Vatican Basilica to raise the accompanying prayers in the agony, especially the litanies of the saints canonized by the dying Pontiff.

He took his last breath, the Pope's death was confirmed by the doctor; the Master of the Chamber covered the face of the deceased Pontiff with a white veil and, while the celebrations of the SS began in the private chapel. Masses for his soul, an initial dressing was carried out: the white cassock, the spool and the papal mozzetta. Only at this moment was the Cardinal Camerlengo introduced who effectively, in the vacant Apostolic See, assumes the "regency" of the Church. Escorted by the Swiss guards, he performed the act of official recognition of the Pontiff's death for the entire Church. The Camerlengo, intoned the From the depths, she removed the veil and struck the deceased's forehead three times, calling him by his first name: «N. I know dead?»; on the third shot, receiving no response, he announced: «The Pope is really dead». This ritual no longer happens today. The reform desired by Pope Francis, establishes that the official confirmation of death takes place in the chapel, after the Pope's body has already been composed.

Today those rituals which may even seem "folkroistic" and which revolved around the agony and death of the Pope have given way to moments of ecclesial prayer, to affirm faith in God to whom we always belong and in whose hands we always are, alive or dead. The Pope who has just left this world and the Virgin Mary are recommended to God the Father, with the singing of Hi Regina, we are asked to show the face of Jesus to the deceased Pope, blessed fruit of her womb. Task of the Cardinal Camerlengo, at this stage, is to break the Fisherman's Ring and annul the Papal Seal.

The Pope's body is embalmed to allow conservation on days of public display. Once upon a time this process, which contemplated the use of ancient embalming techniques, it also involved the removal of viscera, while the heart of the deceased Pope was preserved in an urn in the choir of the Church of SS. Vincent and Athanasius at the Trevi Fountain. It is believed that this practice last occurred on the occasion of the death of Leo XIII. Today, to avoid excessive manipulation, less invasive methods are used.

The body of the Pope, under the supervision of the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, he is dressed in pontifical robes: the shirts, the red chasuble, the pallium, the white miter edged with gold, the white skullcap, an episcopal ring and the pectoral cross. Red is the liturgical color of "papal mourning", used by the Pontiff even during his lifetime, when for example he presides over the funeral rite. As we know, it is a color that recalls the blood of martyrs and the living presence of the Holy Spirit; for this reason the Pope, as successor of Peter, he is wrapped in red vestments which symbolize his service entirely dedicated to Christ and the Church, in the testimony of faith.

With the placing of the body of the deceased in the coffin — was once placed on a sedan chair, but Francesco, reforming the rites of papal funerals, has arranged differently — begins the First Station, which takes place in the place where the Pope died. It is therefore a moment reserved for the people closest to him, accompanied by the prayer of suffrage.

See Peter. The second station

On the day and time established by the College of Cardinals, the body of the deceased Pontiff is moved to St. Peter's Basilica "where he often exercised his ministry as Bishop of the Church in Rome and as Pastor of the Universal Church" (Ordo Funeral of the Roman Pontiff, later OERP, edition 2005, n. 68) to receive the homage of the faithful. Once upon a time the Pope's body was displayed in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, on a reclining catafalque which allowed the faithful to touch his feet for the final act of veneration. Today, more significantly, the coffin is placed in front of the altar of Confession, at the tomb of the Apostle Peter.

The procession it is accompanied by the singing of some psalms and evangelical canticles suitable for the occasion, while at the entrance to the Basilica the litanies of the saints are sung. For a few days, the Pontiff's body will remain on display in the basilica and will receive homage from the faithful: «Near the body, the faithful will raise incessant prayers to God for the late Pontiff" (OERP, edition 2005, n.87).

During these days various moments of community prayer are planned, in particular the celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours.

And in my flesh I shall see God, my savior. The third station: Funeral mass and burial

The Holy Funeral Mass represents the culminating moment of the funeral of the Roman Pontiff. The Constitution Dominic Flock which regulates the phases of the Vacant Apostolic See, establishes that this moment occurs within the 4th and 6th day of the Pope's death. It is the Cardinals who establish the place of the solemn funeral, ma, given the foreseeable participation of the people, generally these take place in St. Peter's Square.

The day before the funeral the rite of closing the coffin takes place, an occasion full of meaning, since it is the moment in which the body of the Pope is removed from now on from the sight of the people of God. After reading and signing the Deed, a document that recalls the main events and acts of the Pontiff's life, the Pope's face is covered with a white veil «in the lively hope that he can contemplate the face of the Father, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints" (OERP, edition 2005, n.95). So the Deed and some coins minted during the pontificate are placed in the coffin before its actual closure.

The funeral Mass is presided over by the Cardinal Dean and concelebrated by the Cardinals and Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches. These funerals do not differ, in their main structure, from those of any Christian. As the first reading, a text from the Acts of the Apostles is proclaimed (10,34-43); as a response the Salmo 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd") followed by a passage from the Letter to the Philippians (3,20–4,1) and the famous evangelical passage of John which directly recalls the Petrine ministry: «Simone, you love Me? man, you know that I love you" (GV 21,15-19).

A characteristic element of the funeral liturgy of the Supreme Pontiff is represented byLast Recommendation and Farewell which corresponds to the greeting that the community of believers addresses to its brother and to the Pastor of the universal Church. At the Pope's funeral this greeting is given:

– From the Church of Rome to its bishop, through the mouth of the Cardinal Vicar, invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary The health of the Roman people, the apostles, and martyrs, i papi, i santi e sante romani;

– From the Eastern Churches, through the mouth of a Patriarch united with the other representatives of the Eastern Churches;

– From the entire Catholic Church to its pastor, through the mouth of the Cardinal Dean.

This triple entrustment of the soul of the deceased, ends with a renewed profession of faith, expressed by school that, during sprinkling and censing, sings:

"I believe: The Lord is risen and lives,
and one day I too will rise again with him.
May I contemplate you, my God and my Savior.
My eyes will open to his light,
and my gaze will rest on him.
May I contemplate you, my God and my Savior.
I keep this hope firm in my heart:
May I contemplate you, my God and my Savior".

At the end of the funeral celebration, the coffin is picked up and accompanied to the burial site. Burial in the Vatican caves, under St. Peter's Basilica, it has become traditional; however the Pope can decide differently, as did Pope Francis who chose to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore.

The novendials

It's tradition, also confirmed by the reform desired by Pope Francis, that starting from the funeral Mass there will be nine days of Eucharistic celebrations in suffrage of the deceased Pope. All the people of God are involved in these celebrations, even if they are entrusted to particular categories of people: faithful of the Vatican City, of the Church of Rome, the Chapters of the Papal Basilicas, the members of the Roman Curia, the Eastern Churches.

The whole Church spread throughout the world unites in prayer and strengthens faith and hope; thus even death becomes a gift of grace and an opportunity to thank and bless the God of all consolation.

«A Pope dies, another one is made»

This famous saying, which may even sound fatalistic, And, in fact, what happens after the death of every Roman Pontiff. It could be said that the Vacant office it is that powerful moment in which the Pontificate enters into a sort of "anonymity" so that the deceased pontiff and his elected successor, because they belong to something bigger, they seem to pass on the soul of the role. This is what the famous Roman poet Giacchino Belli states: the dead Pope gives the spirit of the important task to the newly elected. The external forms of the body or even the brain can vary, but that will be the legacy, since wanted by the eternal. With bold verses, but significant, the poet says: it almost seems as if the body of the new Pope falls from the sky without a soul, but only with vital breath. Because dignity, the soul of the role of each pontiff is left to him by those who preceded him.

I now leave Ariel to Father reading poetry Is passa-mano, published by Gioacchino Belli on 4 October 1835:

"Is Papa, is Visceddio, Our Lord,
He is an eternal Father like the Eternal Father.
Ciove doesn't die, O, ppe ddí mmejjo, more,
But more only at the outside.

Because there his body leaves the government,
The soul, stop the ancient honor at the end,
Non go nn in paradise the hell,
Steps subbit in the chief arch.

That's how the brain changes a bit,
The stommium, the ears, is naso, is pelo;
Ma is Papa, in quant’ a Ppapa, it's always that.

And so every body is distinct
To that indignity, ccasca gift even
Soulless, and in a den door, what a breath".

Florence, 1° May 2025

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WHEN THE ROMAN PONTIFF DIES. A BRIEF HISTORICAL-LITURGICAL EXCURSUS

Every Pope, in his role as Vicar of Christ, does not belong entirely to himself; this is particularly evident when death comes. In the recent past, Popes rarely managed to die in peace, in silence, far from prying eyes or preamble rituals. A Pope almost never passed away alone but, like an ancient sovereign, was surrounded by his courtiers.

— Liturgical pastoral —

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Author
Simone Pifizzi

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The death of the Roman Pontiff is a special moment in the life of the Catholic Church; a passage technically defined Vacant See, which brings with it a set of acts, events and rites that, by their nature, are unique in their kind.

We do not want to make a systematic treatment of it here, but rather touch, also by recourse to history, on some liturgical and ritual aspects that passed before our eyes on the occasion of the death of Pope Francis.

Dying as Pope. The First stage

Every Pope, in his role as Vicar of Christ, does not belong entirely to himself; this is particularly evident when death comes. In the recent past, Popes rarely managed to die in peace, in silence, far from prying eyes or preamble rituals. A Pope almost never passed away alone but, like an ancient sovereign, was surrounded by his courtiers. At the first signs of agony, in fact, a series of meticulous ceremonial actions were set in motion that accompanied the Pontiff towards his earthly end.

The first thing to do: notify all the cardinals residing in Rome, and all the heads of the various Dicasteries of the Holy See; a silent procession before the dying man to pay him their last respects. The Anointing of the Sick and the Viaticum administered by the Cardinal Vicar, while it was the task of the penitentiaries and canons of the Vatican Basilica to raise the prayers accompanying him in his agony, especially the Litanies of the Saints canonized by the dying Pontiff.

After the Pope’s last breath, his death is certified by the doctor; the Master of the Chamber covered the deceased Pontiff’s face with a white veil and, while the celebrations of the Holy Masses for his soul began in the private chapel, the first vestment was carried out: the white cassock, the rochet and the papal mozzetta. Only at this moment was the Cardinal Camerlengo introduced, who in fact, in the Vacant Apostolic See, assumed the “regency” of the Church. Escorted by the Swiss guards, he performed the act of official recognition of the Pontiff’s death for the entire Church. The Camerlengo, having intoned the De Profundis, removed the veil and struck the deceased’s forehead three times, calling him by his baptismal name: «(Name). are you dead?»; at the third blow, receiving no response, he announced: "Truly the Pope is dead". This rite no longer occurs today. The reform desired by Pope Francis establishes that the official certification of death takes place in the chapel, after the Pope’s body has already been composed.

Today those rituals that may even seem “folkloristic” around the agony and death of the Pope have given way to moments of ecclesial prayer, to affirm faith in God to whom we always belong and in whose hands we always are, whether alive or dead. The Pope who has just left this world is recommended to God the Father and the Virgin Mary, with the singing of the Hi Regina, is asked to show the deceased Pope the face of Jesus, the blessed fruit of her womb. The task of the Cardinal Camerlengo, in this phase, is to break the Ring of the Fisherman and cancel the Papal Seal.

The body of the Roman Pontiff is embalmed to allow for its preservation during the days of public display. At one time, this process, which involved the use of ancient embalming techniques, also included the removal of the viscera, while the heart of the deceased Pope was preserved in an urn in the choir of the Church of St. Vincenzo e Atanasio at the Trevi Fountain. It is believed that this practice took place for the last time on the occasion of the death of Leo XIII. Today, to avoid excessive manipulation, less invasive methods are used.

The body of the Roman Pontiff, under the supervision of the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, is dressed in pontifical vestments: the alb, the red chasuble, the cloak, the white miter edged with gold, the white skullcap, an episcopal ring and the pectoral cross. Red is the liturgical colour of “papal mourning”, used by the Pontiff even in life, for example when he presides over the funeral rite. As we know, it is a colour that recalls the blood of the martyrs and the living presence of the Holy Spirit; for this reason the Pope, as the successor of Peter, is wrapped in red vestments that symbolize his service entirely consecrated to Christ and to the Church, in the testimony of faith.

With the deposition of the body of the deceased in the catafalque — once it was placed on a stretcher, but Francis, reforming the rites of papal funerals, has arranged otherwise — the First Station begins, which takes place in the place where the Pope died. It is therefore a moment reserved for the people closest to him, accompanied by prayers of suffrage.

See Peter. The Second Stage

On the day and at the time established by the College of Cardinals, the body of the deceased Pontiff is transferred to St. Peter’s Papal Archibasilic “where he often exercised his ministry as Bishop of the Church in Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church” (Order of Roman Pontifical Funerals, hereinafter, 2005 edition, n. 68) to receive the homage of the faithful. In the past, the body of the Pope was exposed in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, on a reclining catafalque that allowed the faithful to touch his feet for the final act of veneration. Today, more significantly, the coffin is placed in front of the Altar of Confession, in correspondence with the tomb of the Apostle Peter.

The procession is accompanied by the singing of some psalms and evangelical hymns appropriate to the occasion, while at the entrance to the Basilica the litanies of the saints are intoned. For a few days, the body of the Pontiff will remain exposed in the basilica and will receive the homage of the faithful: “At the body, the faithful will raise incessant prayers to God for the deceased Pontiff” (Order of Funerals of the Roman Pontiffs, 2005 edition, n.87).

During these days, various moments of community prayer are planned, in particular the celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours.

And in my flesh I shall see God, my savior. The Third Stage: Funeral Mass and Burial

The Funeral Mass is the culminating moment of the funeral of the Roman Pontiff. The Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis which regulates the phases of the Apostolic See Vacant, establishes that this moment occurs within the 4th and 6th day after the death of the Pope. The Cardinals are the ones who establish the place of the solemn funeral, but, given the foreseeable crowd of people, generally these take place in St. Peter’s Square.

The day before the funeral, the rite of closing the coffin takes place, an occasion full of meaning, since it is the moment in which the Pope’s body is removed from the sight of the people of God from now on. After the reading and signing of the Deed, a document that recalls the main events and acts of the Pontiff’s life, the Pope’s face is covered with a white veil “in the fervent hope that he may contemplate the face of the Father, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints” (Order of Roman Pontifical Funerals, 2005 edition, n.95). Then the Deed and some coins minted during the pontificate are placed in the coffin before its actual closing.

The funeral Mass is presided over by the Cardinal Dean and concelebrated by the Cardinals and Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches. These funerals do not differ, in their main structure, from those of any Christian. As the first reading, a text from the Acts of the Apostles is proclaimed (10:34-43); as a responsory, Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd”), followed by a passage from the Letter to the Philippians (3:20-4:1) and the famous Gospel passage from John which directly recalls the Petrine ministry: “Simon, do you love me? Lord, you know that I love you” (Jn 21:15-19).

A characteristic element of the funeral liturgy of the Supreme Pontiff is represented by the Last Recommendation and Farewell which corresponds to the greeting that the community of believers addresses to the brother and the Pastor of the universal Church. In the funeral of the Pope this greeting is given:

– From the Church of Rome to its Bishop, through the mouth of the Cardinal Vicar, invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary The health of the Roman people, the apostles, the martyrs, the popes, the Roman saints and saints;

– From the Eastern Churches, through the mouth of a Patriarch united with the other representatives of the Eastern Churches;

– From the entire Catholic Church to its pastor, through the mouth of the Cardinal Dean.

This triple entrustment of the soul of the deceased ends with a renewed profession of faith, expressed by the choir which, during the sprinkling and incensing, sings:

«I believe: The Lord is risen and lives,
and one day I too will rise with him.
That I may contemplate you, my God and my Savior.
My eyes will open to his light,
and my gaze will rest on him.
That I may contemplate you, my God and my Savior.
I keep this hope firm in my heart:
That I may contemplate you, my God and my Savior».

At the end of the funeral celebration, the coffin is collected and accompanied to the place of burial. Burial in the Vatican Grottoes, under St. Peter’s Basilica, has become traditional; however, the Pope can decide otherwise, as Pope Francis did, who chose to be buried in the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Greater.

The novendials

It is a tradition, also confirmed by the reform desired by Holy Father Francis, that starting from the funeral Mass, nine days of Eucharistic celebrations follow in suffrage of the deceased Pope. All the people of God are involved in these celebrations, even if they are entrusted to particular categories of People of God: faithful of the Vatican City, of the Church of Rome, the Chapters of the Papal Basilicas, members of the Roman Curia, the Eastern Churches.

The entire Church throughout the world unites in prayer and strengthens faith and hope; thus even death becomes a gift of grace and an opportunity to thank and bless the God of all consolation.

«When a Pope dies, another one is always made»

This famous saying, which may even sound fatalistic, is, in fact, what happens after the death of every Roman Pontiff. One could say that the Vacant See is that moment in which the Pontificate enters into a sort of “anonymity” so that the deceased pontiff and his elected successor, since they belong to something greater, seem to pass on the soul of the role.

This is what the famous Roman poet Gioacchino Belli stated in 1835: the dead Pope hands over to the newly elected the spirit of the important task. The external forms of the body or even the brain may vary, but the legacy will be the same, since it is willed by the eternal. With bold but significant verses, the poet says: it almost seems as if the body of the new Pope falls from the sky without a soul, but only with the breath of life. Because the dignity, the soul of the role of every pontiff is left to him by those who preceded him.

Florence, May 1st 2025

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The Holy Spirit, The conclave and the election of the Roman Pontiff bishop of Rome – The Holy Spirit, the conclave and the election of the Roman Pontiff Bishop of Rome

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(English text after the Italian)

 

The Holy Spirit, The conclave and the election of the Roman Pontiff bishop of Rome

A soma animal cannot aspire to become a racing horse. Grace perfects the nature that exists in man, but it can't distort it, because it does not go beyond nature that is not there, So teaches the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas.

- Church news -

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Author
Ivano Liguori, Ofm. Cap.

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PDF print format article – PDF article print format

 

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In time of vacancies, The fever of the conclave infects everyone: Both believers and non -believers are careful not to follow the prudent protocol of a "vigilant expectation" and everyone launches into predictions that mostly reflect their personal desires to outline the profile of the next vicar of Christ.

Among the various fans how not to include romantics, those who insist on arguing that the new pope will be elected by the Holy Spirit in person. that way, This concept means little or nothing, If not for a certain trusty coloring. but yet, If we go deeper than the thought of these simple souls we will discover that this idea sounds like a sort of insurance policy that should make cardinal voters and the people of God safe from unfortunate or embarrassing situations. For charity, A legitimate position which, however, does not take into account the dynamics with which the Holy Spirit actually acts in the history of man really, Just as he acted in the life of the Lord Jesus and the Church in his two thousand years.

Example: If we take the genealogy of the Gospels, We can perhaps say that within that story of those names made of specific events the action of the Holy Spirit has always been present? My old professor of fundamental morality - Jesuit shrewd of the old company of Jesus - would have replied: "Yes and no". Would have said Yes for the fact that the result of genealogy and the person of Jesus born from Mary, no for the fact that among those cited people who have built the historical scaffolding, Relational and family that has allowed the embodiment of the verb we must detect numerous and abundant fragility and resistance to grace that are not at all new in the history of man.

Someone could objectively object, "Well, Oh well, The important thing is the final result ", This is true as long as we talk about Christ and as long as we take him as a last reference, But when there is man this is still true? To go even deeper, After the ascension of the Lord, The ground time of the Risen One ends and the time of the Church begins, in which they are men, Apostles and disciples of Christ, to carry on a deposit that was entrusted to him by the Master. The book of the acts of the apostles shows us several times that the trend of the Church has not always been peaceful and without problems, Even after Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit. And over time, The situation has not changed much. We must be honest in considering the Holy Spirit not as a severe tutor that leads obtorto neck his disciple by force of slap but like an wise and prudent pedagogue that leaves a lot of space and freedom to his disciple always staying a few steps from him, Also allowing the healthy and inevitable falls.

This means in a nutshell? It means that - as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in 1997 - The Holy Spirit does not intervene with his finger of fire in the Sistine chapel indicating the candidate for which he should vote, But intervenes in the mind of the cardinals with a fair human and historical discernment oriented to choose the candidate who debates between the banks of the "worst" and the "slightly less worse". Beyond the joke, The history of the Church teaches that among the various vicars of Christ not all of them were the champions and the pious, rather. Some have done a lot of damage - it is undeniable - but at the same time they have also been able to give the Church something good in the times when they lived and exercised the Petrine Ministry, In this we can certainly see the action of the Holy Spirit, In that little good that has not been completely ruined by bulky personalities and social and political interference together with sympathies and human alliances.

This is precisely the elasticity that the Holy Spirit exercises in the Church without depriving the man of his freedom and without coating him to the good. Next to the Holy Spirit-let's face it once-there is also the anti-Spriter that makes many cantonate take and resides in the stubbornness of the man who wants to make his own head relegating the Holy Spirit to the only time of the song of the I came Creator.

Attribute to the Holy Spirit everything that happens inside a conclave or during a celebration of a synod or a chapter it would be pure superstition and naivety. We have to dare and be sufficiently sorted in recognizing that the anti-Spite works months earlier to guide the fate of an event, It matters little if it is a conclave or a condominium meeting.

The hope that we all nourish it is that the Holy Spirit can speak to the heart of the cardinals making the truth shine and together by instilling the courage of a change or the beginning of a new move. A high -speed train cannot be stopped in a bang, It needs time and maneuvering space. So it is in the Church, There is always a need for a reversal of course and a conversion but nothing can happen suddenly or after a conclave. Often, It is the story that tells us, The damage done by some popes needed years to be repaired, Other times decades, sometimes, to remedy, It was necessary to convene an ecumenical council. Or perhaps we want to forget that both the Lateran Council is the Council of Trento, They were also the consequence of several not particularly recommended popes that have followed between poorly built political events, Power struggles, financial intrallazzi and simonia?

The 7 May the conclave will begin, The human matter within which the next vicar of Christ will be chosen is represented by the Cardinal College made, as in the case of genealogy, of men who know little about each other, fragile and sometimes refractory to grace. This must not be a reason for discouragement, but only of healthy realism. A soma animal cannot aspire to become a racing horse. Grace perfects the nature that exists in man, but it can't distort it, because it does not go beyond nature that is not there, So teaches the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas: «Grace does not preclude nature but it perfects» (QUESTION, I, I, 8 ad 2). The Holy Spirit is not the magic wand that automatically and unquestionably dictates the right choices but is the attentive observer of man's dialogue with God, It is there to support this dialogue for the good of the Church and for the salvation of man. But when the man explodes from his accompaniment here we experience all the inconvenience of destabilizing and divisive choices. In this case - as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said - the only security that the Holy Spirit offers is that between the various falls and stubborn of man and the Church, everything does not come totally and irreparably ruined.

In short, The Holy Spirit has yet to put us na 'pezza, We trust in this with the wisdom of the Roman people, with which we agree when he says that "a pope died always another". This is encouraging, This we want and together we hope that the next Roman Pontiff bishop of Rome will be given by God, not tolerated for human agreements, nor inflicted as the result of the Entes.

Sanluri, 30 April 2025

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THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE CONCLAVE AND THE ELECTION OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF BISHOP OF ROME

A pack animal cannot aspire to become a racehorse. Grace perfects the nature that exists in man, but cannot denature it, because it does not go beyond the nature that does not exist, as the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas teaches.

— Ecclesial actuality —

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Author
Ivano Liguori, Ofm. Cap.

 

In times of vacant see, the fever of the Conclave infects everyone: both believers and non-believers are careful not to follow the prudent protocol of “watchful waiting” and everyone launches into predictions that mostly reflect their own personal desires to outline the profile of the next Vicar of Christ.

Among the various fans, how can we not include the romantics, those who insist on maintaining that the new Pope will be elected by the Holy Spirit himself. Said in this way, this concept means little or nothing, if not for a certain fideistic coloration. Yet, if we delve deeper into the thinking of these simple souls, we will discover that this idea sounds like a sort of insurance policy that should protect the cardinal electors and the People of God from unpleasant or embarrassing situations. A legitimate position that however does not take into account the dynamics with which the Holy Spirit actually acts in the history of man, just as he acted in the life of the Lord Jesus and of the Church in its two thousand years.

Example: if we take the Genealogy of the Gospels, can we perhaps say that within that history of those names made up of specific events the action of the Holy Spirit has always been present? My old professor of fundamental morality — a shrewd Jesuit of the old school by Company of Jesus — would have answered: “Yes and no”. He would have said yes because the result of the Genealogy is the person of Jesus born of Mary, no because among those people cited who built the historical, relational and family scaffolding that allowed the incarnation of the Word we must note numerous and abundant fragilities and resistances to grace that are not at all new in the history of man.

Someone might hastily object, «Well, okay, the important thing is the final result», this is true as long as we talk about Christ and as long as we take him as the final reference, but when there is man is this still true? To go even deeper, after the Ascension of the Lord, the earthly time of the Risen One ends and the time of the Church begins, in which it is men, apostles and disciples of Christ, who carry forward a deposit that was entrusted to them by the Master. The book of the Acts of the Apostles shows us several times that the progress of the Church has not always been peaceful and free of problems, even after Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit. And over time, the situation has not changed much. We must be honest in considering the Holy Spirit not as a severe tutor who reluctantly leads his disciple by force of slaps but as a wise and prudent pedagogue who leaves a lot of space and freedom to his disciple by always remaining a few steps away from him, even allowing for healthy and inevitable falls.

What does this mean in a nutshell? It means that — as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in 1997 — the Holy Spirit does not intervene with his fiery finger in the Sistine Chapel indicating the candidate for whom one should vote, but intervenes in the minds of the cardinals with a discreet human and historical discernment aimed at choosing the candidate who is torn between the shores of “worse” and “slightly less worse”. Beyond the bad joke, the history of the Church teaches that among the various Vicars of Christ not all have been champions and pious, on the contrary. Some have done a lot of damage — it is undeniable — but at the same time they have also been able to give the Church something good in the times in which they lived and exercised the Petrine ministry, in this we can certainly see the action of the Holy Spirit, in that little bit of good that has not been completely ruined by cumbersome personalities and by social and political interference together with human sympathies and alliances.

This is the elasticity that the Holy Spirit exercises in the Church without depriving man of his freedom and without forcing him to do good. Alongside the Holy Spirit there is also the anti-spirit that causes so many blunders and resides in the stubbornness of man who wants to do things his own way, relegating the Holy Spirit to the sole moment of singing the I came Creator.

To attribute to the Holy Spirit everything that happens inside a Conclave or during a celebration of a Synod or a Chapter would be pure superstition and naivety. We must dare and be sufficiently shrewd to recognize that the anti-spirit works months in advance to direct the fate of an event, it matters little whether it is a Conclave or a condominium meeting.

The hope we all have is that the Holy Spirit can speak to the hearts of the cardinals, making the Truth shine and at the same time instilling the courage to change or begin a new step. A high-speed train cannot be stopped suddenly, it needs time and room to maneuver. So it is in the Church, there is always a need for a change of direction and a conversion but nothing can happen suddenly or after a Conclave. Often, history tells us, the damage done by some Popes has taken years to repair, other times decades, sometimes, to remedy it, it has been necessary to convene an ecumenical council. Or perhaps we want to forget that both the Fourth Lateran Council and the Council of Trent were also the consequence of several not particularly recommendable Pontiffs who followed one another amidst less than edifying political events, power struggles, financial intrigues and simony?

The Conclave will begin on May 7th. The human matter within which the next Vicar of Christ will be chosen is represented by the College of Cardinals made up, as in the case of the Genealogy, of men who know little about each other, fragile and sometimes refractory to grace. This should not be a reason for discouragement, but only for healthy realism. A pack animal cannot aspire to become a racehorse. Grace perfects the nature that exists in man, but cannot denature it, because it does not go beyond the nature that does not exist, as the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas teaches: "Grace does not preclude nature but it perfects" (QUESTION, I, I, 8 ad 2). The Holy Spirit is not the magic wand that automatically and unquestionably dictates the right choices but is the attentive observer of the dialogue of man with God, he is there to support this dialogue for the good of the Church and for the salvation of man. But when man separates himself from his accompaniment, we experience all the discomforts of destabilizing and divisive choices. In this case — as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said — the only security that the Holy Spirit offers is that among the various falls and stubbornness of man and the Church, everything will not be totally and irreparably ruined.

The Holy Spirit still has to patch us up, we trust in this with the wisdom of the Roman people, with whom we agree when they say that «when a Pope dies, another is always made». This is encouraging, this is what we desire and together we hope that the next Roman Pontiff Bishop of Rome will be given by God, not tolerated by human agreements, nor inflicted as the result of the anti-spirit.

Sanluri, April 30, 2025

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