There is, of course, nothing trivial about a papal election but throughout the Church's history, there have been some interesting bits of trivia pertaining to the papal lineage.
The longest the Church has ever been without a pope was 1268-1271 when Gregory X was finally elected. This election was taking so long that the faithful finally put the cardinals on a diet of bread and water which seems to get the voting back on track!
The first Roman to be elected pope was St. Anacletus in 76.
The last Roman elected to be pope was Pius XII in 1939.
The first Italian pope was St. Linus in 67.
The last conclave held outside Rome was in Venice in 1800. At that conclave, Pius VII was elected. The reason the conclave was held in Venice was because that period of time was marked by uncertainty for the Pope and Roman Catholic Church following the invasion of the Papal States and abduction of Pius VI under the French Directory.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Catholic Church Chooses a Pope!
Like most Catholics, I'm excited about the conclave being convened this week for the purpose of voting for our next Pope. Since we aren't also mourning the recent death of the previous Pope, there is a different feeling about this election. There is a lot of conjecture about who will actually be elected. I know from other papal elections that the ones we are sure will be in the running are not always the ones that are given the title. Naturally, I have favorite cardinals but await the white smoke the the final decision.
The Conclave starts this Tuesday. Before the voting even begins, some cardinals are selected by lot to gather the ballots of the sick who cannot attend the regular voting sessions. In fact, these cardinals will be sequestered at St. Martha's House. Some other cardinals are given the task of counting the ballots. Voting begins with only one ballot on the first day. In the following days, if necessary, two ballots will be taken in the morning and two in the afternoon. You have to wonder who has the most anxiety - we the people of the Church awaiting the announcement or the cardinals prayerfully voting and asking for God's Will to be done through them.
The ballot paper is rectangular with the words Elligo in Summum Pontificem in Latin which translates to "I Elect as Supreme Pontiff" written at the top with room for the cardinal to write in the name. The ballots are then folded twice and carried to the altar. As each cardinal casts his vote, he says aloud, "I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected". The ballot is then placed into a receptacle, they bow, and return to their place.
When all the ballots have been cast, they are immediately counted. Each ballot is pierced with a needle through the work Eligo and place on a thread. After the names have been read out loud, the ends of the thread area tied into a knot. If someone has obtained two-thirds of the votes, the canonically valid election of the Roman Pontiff has taken place and we have a pope!
Once a pope has been elected and before the cardinals leave the Sistine Chapel, all the ballots are to be burned along with any notes written by the cardinals.
Until a pope is elected, the ballots are burned and the black smoke indicates to the world that they are still at work on this. Once a pope is elected, the burned ballots are done so as to emit white smoke and the cheering and anticipation begins until the actually announcement is made public.
After three days and no two-thirds vote for anyone, voting is suspended for a day of prayer, discussion, and spiritual exhortation. After a series of seven further ballots, the process may again be halted for discernment until, finally, only the two cardinals who received the most votes in the last ballot are eligible for a runoff election. The two candidates cannot themselves vote.
The Conclave starts this Tuesday. Before the voting even begins, some cardinals are selected by lot to gather the ballots of the sick who cannot attend the regular voting sessions. In fact, these cardinals will be sequestered at St. Martha's House. Some other cardinals are given the task of counting the ballots. Voting begins with only one ballot on the first day. In the following days, if necessary, two ballots will be taken in the morning and two in the afternoon. You have to wonder who has the most anxiety - we the people of the Church awaiting the announcement or the cardinals prayerfully voting and asking for God's Will to be done through them.
The ballot paper is rectangular with the words Elligo in Summum Pontificem in Latin which translates to "I Elect as Supreme Pontiff" written at the top with room for the cardinal to write in the name. The ballots are then folded twice and carried to the altar. As each cardinal casts his vote, he says aloud, "I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected". The ballot is then placed into a receptacle, they bow, and return to their place.
When all the ballots have been cast, they are immediately counted. Each ballot is pierced with a needle through the work Eligo and place on a thread. After the names have been read out loud, the ends of the thread area tied into a knot. If someone has obtained two-thirds of the votes, the canonically valid election of the Roman Pontiff has taken place and we have a pope!
Once a pope has been elected and before the cardinals leave the Sistine Chapel, all the ballots are to be burned along with any notes written by the cardinals.
Until a pope is elected, the ballots are burned and the black smoke indicates to the world that they are still at work on this. Once a pope is elected, the burned ballots are done so as to emit white smoke and the cheering and anticipation begins until the actually announcement is made public.
After three days and no two-thirds vote for anyone, voting is suspended for a day of prayer, discussion, and spiritual exhortation. After a series of seven further ballots, the process may again be halted for discernment until, finally, only the two cardinals who received the most votes in the last ballot are eligible for a runoff election. The two candidates cannot themselves vote.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
You are what you eat . . .?
We live in a world where everyone has an opinion on what works or doesn't work for them nutritionally. Many people start a 'health' diet without enough personal research into long-term effects, possible side effects, inadequate nutrition, and the effect it might have on children. This article shows up a concern that has actually cost children their lives.
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/12-year-old-vegan-has-the-degenerating-bones-of-80-year-old/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHealthyHomeEconomist+%28The+Healthy+Home+Economist%29
Yes, we need to eat better in order to live better. Most healthy eating is thoughtful and fine for most everyone but, like anything in life, going to far in one direction can be hazardous for your health.
When we decided to try going gluten-free, I did some research and the one 'problem' could be a lack of the B vitamins given the lack of wheat products. We added a multiple B vitamin to the diet and have not experienced any problems. We are, however, vigilant and keep possibilities in mind. Actually, omitting wheat isn't taking away a really main component in the diet as all the meats, fruits, starches, and vegetables are still in play. Going totally vegan without any milk protein, however, could have it's problems as the article indicated.
I think that adults are free to eat whatever diet they want to but need to take more consideration into the possible effect on babies and children. Going gluten-free has been very helpful to my husband. We have not, however, limited wheat products for our children.
The world is a fantastic place to live in when it comes to what we eat and what is available to eat. We just need to do our homework and make proven, sensible choices.
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/12-year-old-vegan-has-the-degenerating-bones-of-80-year-old/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHealthyHomeEconomist+%28The+Healthy+Home+Economist%29
Yes, we need to eat better in order to live better. Most healthy eating is thoughtful and fine for most everyone but, like anything in life, going to far in one direction can be hazardous for your health.
When we decided to try going gluten-free, I did some research and the one 'problem' could be a lack of the B vitamins given the lack of wheat products. We added a multiple B vitamin to the diet and have not experienced any problems. We are, however, vigilant and keep possibilities in mind. Actually, omitting wheat isn't taking away a really main component in the diet as all the meats, fruits, starches, and vegetables are still in play. Going totally vegan without any milk protein, however, could have it's problems as the article indicated.
I think that adults are free to eat whatever diet they want to but need to take more consideration into the possible effect on babies and children. Going gluten-free has been very helpful to my husband. We have not, however, limited wheat products for our children.
The world is a fantastic place to live in when it comes to what we eat and what is available to eat. We just need to do our homework and make proven, sensible choices.
Friday, March 8, 2013
The new pope has a wife? :-)
According to the news, the conclave for electing the new pope begins this coming Tuesday and the world will anxiously await the signal of the white smoke and the announcement of who the new head of the Catholic Church on earth will be. Meanwhile, some people recently interviewed are making uninformed voters look brilliant as they answer questions about the 'new pope'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iz-LxZnPjJA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iz-LxZnPjJA
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The Papal Conclave . . .
The cardinals are gathering in Rome. There are meetings going on and they are talking among themselves to get a feel for who would/should be a contender to head the Catholic Church. The secular media keeps talking about voting in a cardinal that will bring the Catholic Church into the current century . . . in other words, allow birth control, abortion, and married priests. Interesting how they think that is what the Church needs to survive. Have any of these media hounds stopped to consider that many things have come and gone in the world but the only mainstay in over 2,000 years has been the Catholic Church? Seems to me that kind of records might indicate that we are doing the right thing.
Today, I read that reports are about who would be a 'safe' vote which sort of indicates to me that until the more liberal faction can get liberal change they don't want anyone stepping up the discipline too much. I remember, years ago, when the Vatican was sending out some enforcement of rules (which escapes me right now) and when I mentioned this to some people from our parish who were active in the parish, they said, "Well, if we can implement the changes into our routine, we will do it, otherwise, it won't apply to us."
I have a feeling that whatever comes our way, the Church will withstand if even if we go through more turbulent times. We, as Catholics, can't vote for the next pope but we can pray and prayer often surpasses human efforts.
Today, I read that reports are about who would be a 'safe' vote which sort of indicates to me that until the more liberal faction can get liberal change they don't want anyone stepping up the discipline too much. I remember, years ago, when the Vatican was sending out some enforcement of rules (which escapes me right now) and when I mentioned this to some people from our parish who were active in the parish, they said, "Well, if we can implement the changes into our routine, we will do it, otherwise, it won't apply to us."
I have a feeling that whatever comes our way, the Church will withstand if even if we go through more turbulent times. We, as Catholics, can't vote for the next pope but we can pray and prayer often surpasses human efforts.
Getty Villa - Outside views . . .
As amazing as the artifacts housed at the Getty Villa are, the villa, itself, is also fantastic. It is modeled after an ancient Roman villa. You walk through the covered pathways, view the pools, fountains and start to wonder about the people of that time and how they actually lived.
Gluten-Free Bake Day at My House . . .
Someone's friend was just diagnosed with celiac and is a bit down about not being able to grab a cookie or treat without thinking about whether or not it has gluten. Frankly, I've looked at a lot of commercial gluten-free products and the cookies and crackers don't look all that great. If I'm going to add calories to my day, I'd prefer they be on the slightly decadent side. So, to help out the friend, I spent the day baking some gluten-free crackers and cookies. Considering my first efforts at the beginning of the year, I'm doing pretty well. I've mastered chocolate chip cookies and brownies! My saltines and common crackers are tasty for snacking, too. Anyway, I have a couple of tins filled with treats for the 'new celiac'. Not really a chore and a good excuse to bake during Lent!
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