By Christopher White
THE day after Pope Francis died, 60 cardinals met inside the Vatican on Apr 22 and swore an oath, beginning secretive deliberations about the late pontiff’s final arrangements — and setting the stage for who will succeed him.
By the time of the cardinals’ third meeting on Apr 25, a day before Francis’ funeral, that number had more than doubled to 149 cardinals for these almost daily gatherings known as general congregations ahead of the conclave, the assembly of cardinals to elect a new pope.
The general congregations are equally as important as the conclave, and possibly more so. Twelve years ago, according to the lore around Pope Francis, a speech Argentina’s Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergolio gave at a congregation clinched his election.
“The general congregations offer a forum that’s more open and discussion-oriented than the actual conclave,” said veteran Vatican journalist John Thavis in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter. “This allows cardinals to exchange views, identify candidates and, to some degree, lobby for their favorites.”
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