Vatican
City, 4 March 2013
(VIS) – Early this afternoon Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director
of the Holy See Press Office, informed reporters on the proceedings
of the first of the General Congregations of the College of
Cardinals. The cardinals' meeting took place this morning at 9:30am in the Synod
Hall, which is located above the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican
building created by the Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi.
The
Congregation was headed by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the
College, accompanied by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., camerlengo
of the Apostolic Camera, and Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary
of the Congregation for Bishops. The members of the College took
their places following the hierarchical order of precedence: first
those belonging to the order of Cardinal-bishops, then the
Cardinal-priests, and finally the
Cardinal-deacons. Each cardinal has an assigned seat to facilitate
the process of voting.
After
the opening prayer, “Veni Sancte Spiritus”, followed by the
“Adsumus” prayer, Cardinal Sodano greeted those present in
Italian, informing them of the procedures related to the Sede Vacante
and how the Congregations, regulated by the Apostolic Constitution
“Universi Dominici Gregis”, will operate. Following that,
technical guidance on the use of microphones and the voting
apparatuses was given. The proceedings are being simultaneously
translated in five languages: Italian, French, German, Spanish, and
English.
There
were 142 of the total 207 cardinals present this morning; 103 of
those present were Cardinal electors. Expected to arrive this
afternoon and tomorrow, therefore, are 63 others including the
remaining 12 Cardinal electors. This number—115 Cardinal
electors—takes into account the two cardinals who have already
indicated that they will not be attending: the archbishop emeritus of
Jakarta, Indonesia and the archbishop emeritus of St. Andrews and
Edinburgh, Scotland.
The
gathered cardinals swore to keep secret the deliberations for the
election of the future Pope, after which the Cardinal dean, Angleo
Sodano, read the oath in Latin, everyone present reciting along with
him. After that, each cardinal, according to their order of
precedence came forward and took the oath before a Crucifix and with
their hand on the Gospels. This process occupied a good portion of
the meeting's time.
Three
assistants to the camerlengo were also drawn by lot from the Cardinal
electors of each of the orders. As established in No. 7 of “Universi
Dominici Gregis”, these three will assist the Cardinal camerlengo
for the first three days of the Congregations. Chosen were Cardinal
Giovanni Battista Re from the order of bishops, Cardinal Crescenzio
Sepe from the order of priests, and Cardinal Franc Rode from the
order of deacons. After being chosen these three also took their
places next to the Camerlengo at the head table.
According
to tradition, it is expected that the preacher of the Pontifical
Household, Fr. Raniero Catalamessa, O.F.M.
Cap, will give the first meditation to the College of Cardinals early
this afternoon.
“During
the course of the meeting,” Fr. Lombardi added, “Dean Sodano
proposed to the cardinals that, if they sent a message to the Pope
emeritus, he would give a written response for one of the following
meetings.” The Holy See Press Office Director also commented that
the atmosphere was very friendly and that the cardinals took a
45-minute break for coffee and to exchange thoughts.
From
11:45am until 12:30pm, 13 cardinals took the floor to address issues
mainly related to the process of the proceedings and the questions to
be faced, also bearing in mind the results of the latest Synod of
Bishops on the New Evangelization.
“You
could define this initial encounter,” Fr. Lombardi concluded, “as
serene, constructive, and positive.”
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