By Loup Besmond de Senneville (in Rome)
“Extra omnes!” “Everyone out!” These are the words that will be pronounced May 7 by the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, as he closes the doors of the Sistine Chapel. Inside, 133 cardinals for an “immense” task, as one said: choosing the successor of Saint Peter to lead the Catholic Church. For a few hours or a few days will begin a period covered by the most total secrecy. In theory, at least.
In this matter, the rule is indeed as clear as can be: no information can or must leave the conclave, neither about the conduct of the voting operations, nor about the informal discussions that could take place on the sidelines of those. The apostolic constitution Universi dominici gregis, promulgated in 1996 by St John Paul II and revised in 2013 by his successor, devotes an entire chapter to it: chapter four. What is the penalty for those who violate this secrecy? Excommunication latae sententiae, according to this text.
No communication
The cardinal electors, all aged under 80, are forbidden from engaging in any correspondence during the conclave, whether by letter, email, or messaging. The same goes for telephone conversations. An exception is, however, foreseen for “very serious and urgent reasons,” defined by the cardinals themselves.
It is also forbidden for the cardinals to receive and read newspapers “of any kind” and “to listen to the radio or television.”
A lifelong secret “It is forbidden for the cardinal electors to reveal to anyone any news that directly or indirectly concerns the ballots, as well as anything that was addressed or decided regarding the election of the pope during the meetings of cardinals, both before and during the time of the election,” can be read in the apostolic constitution.
Of course, the cardinals are forbidden from recording conversations or taking photos in the Sistine Chapel during the conclave. The only images available will be those produced by the Vatican when the electors enter the chapel and take the oath before the doors are closed, the only public phase of the conclave.
Moreover, Vatican technicians, who are also bound by secrecy, must ensure that cameras or microphones are not placed in the Sistine Chapel or in the spaces adjacent to it.
A secret that doesn’t hold
Despite these very strict rules, cardinals have nonetheless regularly violated this prohibition on speaking, which applies not only during the conclave but also afterward.
Thus, after each conclave, it is not uncommon to have all the details about the ballots that led to the election of a pope. In a book as fascinating as it is detailed on the election of Francis (The Election of Pope Francis, Artège), the Vaticanist Gerry O’Connell thus lists a certain number of ballots. Cardinal Bergoglio, future Pope Francis, reportedly obtained 45 votes as early as the second round, while the Italian Angelo Scola received 38, the Canadian Marc Ouellet 24, and the American Sean O’Malley three.
The votes for Cardinal Bergoglio increased with time: 56 in the third ballot, 67 in the fourth, and 85 in the fifth; thus, reaching the two-thirds majority, he was elected pope. During this last round, Cardinal Scola, cited as the frontrunner at the start of the conclave, had received 20 votes, Cardinal Ouellet eight, and Cardinal Vallini two. “There was applause once the final result was announced,” O’Connell wrote. “Just after the applause ended, Cardinal Bergoglio got up and walked over to Cardinal Scola, seated a few seats away from him, on the same row, and embraced him.”
Another well-known precedent: a lengthy article published in the journal Limes by Vaticanist Lucio Brunelli, recounting in detail the 2005 conclave during which Benedict XVI was elected. Pope Francis himself recounted on multiple occasions details of the conclave during which he became pope, for example, when the Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes suggested he name himself “Francis,” after the saint who had, in his time, the task to “repair” the Church. – La Croix International
