BTW- Writing this while listening to " Rage Against the Machine....."
The Conclave of the Cardinals start this week....Wednesday at 4:30PM Rome time, 9:30AM CDT.
Again, 133 Cardinals are eligible to vote. 1 Cardinal is too sick to attend. 1 is too crooked to vote and dropped out.
They'll vote 4 times a day until the Pope is chosen.
They're are locked away during the voting, no phone, no TV, no internet....
I won't be shocked if there is a Pope by Thursday. Most of these guys are already wanting to get back home.
Remember white smoke, they've elected a Pope, black smoke, they have not....The smoke is the burning the the ballots mixed with a chemical to cause black or white smoke.
Foods are restricted like they cannot have whole chickens and pies. It is believed note from the outside world could be smuggled in....So, what do they eat? A lot of pasta and soup.
- 236 AD( I am going back old school from CE) In that year, a dove landed on a priest by the name Fabian's head. The electors saw it as a sign and he was elected Pope.
-1241 AD The Cardinals were looked in a palace, hot, unsanitary, one cardinal died, others got sick. They still couldn't decide on Pope. The citizens of Roman threatened to dig up the dead Pope, Gregory IX. The Cardinals finally elected an old sick guy, who became Celestine IV. He died 17 days later.
-1268-1271 AD The longest Concave. 2 years, 9 months. It was so long 3 of the 20 Cardinals died. Locals were so upset with Cardinals, they walled them in, and put them on a diet of bread and water. The Cardinals still could decide on the Pope. Finally locals tore the roof of the building they were in....They elected Gregory X who established rules for picking a Pope including voting at least once a day.
- 1492 AD The Cardinals first meeting in the Sistine Chapel. One of the Cardinals was a Borgia, a very wealthy family. Trouble is, he had a string of mistresses and many children. He simply paid off the Cardinals and was elected Alexander VI.
- 1503 AD The shortest Conclave, only a couple of hours. Everyone was afraid of Julius II and he literally became the " Warrior Pope" who lead the Vatican Army into battle. He started rebuilding St. Peter's in Rome.
- 1605 AD Paul V was elected after several fistfights broke out between the Cardinals.
- 1655 AD Several younger Cardinals were bored and decided to play a prank on some of the older Cardinals. One dress up as the Holy Ghost and scared these older cardinals. One was so scared it is told he died shortly after the scare.
Yes, I dug out my old notes from a Church History class I took in divinity school 157 years ago. I remembered these stories, but not all of the details.
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