Because the congregations of the cardinals can be more important than the conclave

There are many small conclants before Conclave which will begin after May 4th. These are general congregations, cardinal meetings preceding the closure of the voters in the Sistine. The Papi elections begin here, in these daily meetings that see the participation of an increasing number of cardinals as they arrive in Rome.

They take place in the New Hall of the Synod. All cardinals also participate in the non -voters. To lead the congregations is the dean of the Cardinal College, Giovanni Battista Re, 91 years old, who also celebrated the Pope’s funeral.

In the first meetings, procedural decisions were made for the Pope’s funeral and novedialthe days of mourning that follow the burial. Above all, the date of the conclave is expected from the first congregations this week.

The date of the conclave

The start date of the Conclave should be between 5 and 6 May, not before 15 days and no more than 20 from the start of the vacant headquarters that begins with the Pope’s death. Francesco died on April 21, the start date should be between 5 and 10 May. It can be started first if all the cardinal voters arrived in Rome.

Congregations

Cardinal voters, who are less than 80 years old, are officially 135, but there will be at least two defections for health reasons. However, the purple are in total 252 and can all participate in the congregations. This means that everyone can express positions and create alliances in the meeting that follow the funeral of the Pope devoted to the knowledge of the cardinals and the preparation of the conclave.

In the case of this conclave there is also a need for knowledge. Pope Francis has appointed a large number of new cardinals, even of areas not in the past central for the Catholic Church such as Asia. There are 108 new nomination porpots wanted by Bergoglio, they come from various parts of the world, while large and historically important dioceses are not represented in conclave dioceses such as those of Milan, Paris and Vienna.

Those who have good memory remember that Bergoglio’s name was not among the papabiles 12 years agobut it was then discovered that the cardinals had already chosen him precisely for his speech during the congregations, a speech in which he outlined the lines of his pontificate. No voting, but declarations of intent that colleagues can convince. Bergoglio said he came from the end of the world and this conclave is at a crossroads that is not only geographical: again Europe with the secretary of State Parolin or the French Jean-Marc Aveline, or the archbishop of Kinshasa Besungu or the Filipino Tagle, wanting to mention only the names that have most often felt in these days.

What the cardinals want to show a divided church lessin particular after the words of the dean king during the homily in the death of Pope Francis who recalled the openings and universality of the Papacy of Bergoglio. “The guiding thread of his mission was the belief that the Church is a house for everyone, a house with always open doors”. Many this appeared as the first public indication of the street to be followed in conclave.

Congregations also serve to deepen these issues and clarify which Church you want to carry on. Very conservative or excessively radical candidates are not easily eligible since the majority of two thirds of the voters is needed. In the congregations, alliances are created and compromises are compromised on themes to get to the name of the new Pope, speaking even with those who have experience, having done other conclants, but cannot vote in the Sistine.

There is also the question of Angelo Becciu: will he be able to enter Conclave after he was deprived of Pope Francis in 2020 of the rights of the cardinal, for the involvement, which denies, in the bad management of Vatican funds? Two letters would exist in which Bergoglio excluded him from the conclave, but not official decrees. The Spanish magazine Vida Nueva reports that the cardinals could vote for his participation. However, they will only do it when they are all in Rome so probably not before May 4th. The risk in case of exclusion of the cardinal could be an appeal of the result of the conclave.