Author Archives: Osservatore

Preparations are on

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Federico Lombardi - Director of the Holy See Press Office The conclave to choose the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. will take place 15 to 20 days after the beginning of the interregnum, after the resignation of Joseph Ratzinger on February 28. “If everything goes smoothly, it can be assumed, that the Conclave begins on the 15th of March”, the Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Wednesday at a press conference.

To determine the date for the beginning of the conclave, the Cardinals will meet for daily general Congregations , Lombardi reported. At these meetings, all incurred duties of the church are treated. This “Pre-Conclave” must also prepare the papal election.

In these Congregation meetings there are also permitted Cardinals aged over 80, that cannot participate in the elections. The panel is expected to include 117 cardinals. According to the Vatican, it should be clear until Easter, who will be the new pope. For the election of a pope, there are well-defined, strict rules.

What happens with Pope Benedict XVI. after February 28

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As the Vatican announced on Tuesday, Benedict XVI. had a cardiac pacemaker implanted about ten years ago. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi  also said that the batteries had been replaced three months ago during a routine surgery. It did, however, have no impact on the retirement decision. According to Lombardi, the retired pope will not play an active role during the upcoming Conclave. Even in the time during which the Holy See will be vacant, Benedict XVI. will not hold any function: “The Apostolic Constitution provides no role for a Pope to resign.”

Lombardi confirmed that the pope would live in a part of the nunnery in the Vatican. A wing of the monastery was currently being restored. The monastery with twelve cells extends over four floors. There is also a chapel and library. Around the monastery there is a large garden, where vegetables and fruit trees grow . The monastery is an oasis of calm in the heart of the Vatican.

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The possible successor to Pope Benedict XVI.

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These are some possible successor to the papacy:

OSCAR ANDRES RODRIGUEZ MARADIAGA (70) of Honduras, a Salesian, was sometimes hailed as the rising star of the Latin American Church. The polyglot cleric speaks a and passable German due to his psychotherapy studies in Innsbruck, Austria. He is an avid musician and is also open to ecumenical questions.

JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO (76), is the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina and makes himself strong for the socially disadvantaged. Being a Jesuit, it is difficult to estimate whether this can be a disadvantage or advantage. Never in the history of the church was a Jesuit pope.

CHRISTOPH SCHÖNBORN (67): The Archbishop of Vienna has a reputation as a crisis manager after the scandals involving Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer and Bishop Kurt Krenn, but is also known for his conciliatory and pragmatic dialogue. After the resignation of Groer, who was involved in a child sex scandal in 1995, he became his successor. He made himself a name in the world as an editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. His liberal statements on homosexuality have caused some debates within the church.

Peter Erdö (60): The Hungarian is the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest since 2003. He is also Primate of the country. In 2006 he was appointed President of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences.

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