Papal Conclave - 2007 The Vatican - Habemus Papam... Leo XIV!!!

[12th Doctor]

  The Results of the 7th Ballot are as follows

Cruijff - 24
Lumbayo - 23
Miller - 13
Antonelli - 11
Cheng - 10
Ribeiro - 8


The results of this ballot are inconclusive.

As you all know, tomorrow will be a day for you all to talk about your selections.  I am sure that whoever you decide on will be God's choice.  And that you will keep that in mind when you go forth to your meetings.

[12th Doctor]

Several conversations and meeting between supporters of different candidates go on over the course of the evening and the next day.  Here are excerpts from some of them.

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Tagola: I continue to stay by Ribeiro because of the man's intellectual qualities.  They simply cannot be matched.

Bertone:  Do you not think it at least important that a Pope have some people skills?

Tagola: The man who will sit in that chair has the power to loose and bind here on Earth.  I want such a man to be able to call upon a vast array of knowledge when making those choices and not simply the soundbytes.

Bertone:  You think Cruijff is a simpleton?

Tagola:  No... but I don't think he stands out in most people's minds as being a heavywieght either.  What do we really know about this man anyway?  In the last 40 years, he has sat quietly and taken notes for others.

Bertone:  You haven't worked with him the last 20 years.  I have, I know his quality.  Where is you push for an "intellectual" going to stop?  Would you rather have Cheng sitting in that chair.

Tagola:  Madre Dios!  No!  But I took an oath to vote only for a person I thought capable of assuming the office.

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Szklar:  I see no reason why we can't agree on that.

Scherer *looks unhappy*:  I suppose.

Bassman:  Brother, If we are going to have a Pope then we must agree on someone.

Szklar:  He isn't that liberal.

Bassman:  And he is not likely to live long.  That will give us a chance to breath.

Scherer:  But he professed that he would call another council.

Bassman:  Most everyone has said that.

Scherer:  Cheng hasn't.  Antonelli hasn't.

Szklar:  Antonelli is too young...

Bassman: And too Italian.

Szklar: ... and Cheng is utterly unelectable.

Scherer:  If the will of God....

Bassman:  If God wanted either of those two men to be elected, don't you think he would have done something about it by now.  It would take a dove decending on Cheng to convince 66 Cardinals to vote for him.

*long silence*

Scherer:  Very well.  I will talk to my people.  I think that's an acceptable choice.

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*O'Hara leading prayer service*

O'Hara:  Lord Jesus.  We pray that each of these men might open their hearts and their minds to hear the words of the Spirit.  We do not ask that you might bless our candidate, but we ask humbly, and ernestly, that we might find our way to the man of your choosing.

Amen

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Santiago:  As men who represent the poor and oppressed, it is our duty to do what we must to help them.  Gentlemen... we come from the forgotten parts of the world.  The areas that even the men who lead this Church refuse to find favor with.  They pay attention to the problems of the rich, at the expense of the truely needy.  We cannot allow this to happen yet again, with yet another European or... even worse, American Pope.

*some nods of agreement*

Ramos:  Some men find bombastic displays liek the one yours moving, brother.  However, I do not.  I think that, in all your self-rightous Marxist rhetoric, turing unity into chaos, you forget the universal nature of the Church.  We shouldn't elect someone because of geographic or economic interests.

Santiago:  I assure you, there are men in the other parts of the world who agree with me.  Tell me, where is the broad support for the ideas of Opus Dei?

*Ramos points up*

Santiago:  Who is self-rightous, brother?  You talk about work and suffering as being essential to God's plan.  What of those who work all their lives for nothing while fat men in other countries reap the benefits without a second thought for those they have tied down to a life of suffering?

Ramos:  All important concerns, but Christ did not teach health and wealth.  You would do well to remember that.  I would also remind you that nothing has caused more suffering in the history of man than jealousy.

Santiago:  This is a matter of survival.

Ramos:  The Church is already involved in works that help the poor and oppressed accross the world.  I don't see how speaking out about a problem we are already working on is going to make an enormous difference.  I think a Pope should be more focused on assure the correctness of doctrine.  All other concerns are secondary.

[12th Doctor]

LaCroix:  Welcome back.  *chuckles*  Well, brother... would any of you like to say anything.

Szklar:  Yes, I would.

*stands*

My brothers, I have spoken with many of you over the last day.  After many discussion, I believe we have found our Pope....

[12th Doctor]

  The Results of the 8th Ballot are as follows

Inconclusive



Well, a significant sift is apparent.  The ninth ballot has proven conclusive.

[12th Doctor]

*Shot of smoke rising*

Announcer:  Again, we are live at the Vatican, where smoke has emerged.  We are not sure, at this time, whether is it white or not.  This is reminicent of a few years ago when it was ambiguously gray.  We are waiting for another sign....

*Bell of St. Marco starts to ring... the crowd cheers at an almost deafening level.*

Announcer:  And there it is.  The bell of St. Marco is ringing.  Now we know that the Cardinals have indeed elected a new Pope.  We now go to David O'Flanagan who is on the ground about two miles away from St. Peter's Square.

David:  This is all the closer we could get to the center of the action.  The crowds are piled up well away from the Vatican.  I'm sorry, I'm just talking, but I can barely hear anything.  Once they locals heard the bell, those who were near the Square erupted, and those who weren't dropped whatever they did to run there.  Car horns are going off, its just a mad house.

Announcer:  Alright, well, we are joined by Richard McBrien again, here.  Professor, what do you think happened in the last couple of days, what can we conclude from an announcement now?

McBrien:  Well, during the day recess, it is likely that there were a number of meetings between the Cardinals.  Someone with a lot of joice behind them emerged as a compromise candidate this morning.  From there, he was able to rally the support of a majority of the Cardinals.

Announcer:  Any guess on who is might be?

McBrien:  Well, I would say that it is likely an older individual, someone who is trusted and has expirience.  Certainly given that this all took place right after the recess, that would be my guess.  Probably a member of the Curia, though it would be odd for one member of the Curia to follow another as Pope.  But I won't venture a guess beyond that.

*Several Cardinals emerge onto a balcony to the one side of St. Peter's, they wave to the crowd and join in the celebration*

Announcer:  Well, I would venture to say that the man choosen is not one of those men.  Who do you recongnize there?

McBrien:  Well, lets see, looking at the monitor, I see... Cardinal von Frick, Cardinal Bertone, Cardinal... Cardinal Hume, Cardinal Lumbayo.

[12th Doctor]

*Attention shifts to the main ballcony, where Cardinal Romano emerges*

Announcer:  Cardinal Romano will make the announcement to the crowd.



Cardinal Romano: Fratelli e sorelle carissimi.
Queridísimos hermanos y hermanas.
Bien chers frères et sœurs.
Liebe Brüder und Schwestern.
Dear brothers and sisters.

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
Habemus Papam!

*Crowd cheers*

Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum ...


Antonius
Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Miller

McBrien:  Wow.

Announcer:  Anthony Miller is the 266th Pontiff.



Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of Ireland

Nationality:  Irish

Age: 76

*After cheers die down*

Romano:  Qui sibi nomen imposuit Leo XIV

Announcer:  Pope Leo XIV.

McBrien:  Not a surprising choice of name.  Many great popes named Leo... including, of course, Leo the Great.  Also, Leo XIII who's encyclical Rerum Novarum drastically changed Catholic social teaching and concern for the poor.


*Romano ducks back behind curtains*


The crowd is awaiting a glimps of the new Pope, and wondering what he might say....

[12th Doctor]

I will have the article for the Papacy of Leo XIV out in a bit.  I have a Steelers game tomorrow... and I am going to Heinz Field!!!!

Envy me. 

[12th Doctor]

266 Leo XIV, 1931-2013, pope from May 2, 2007, to December 25, 2013.

The first Irish Pope in history and the first Pope to have been born outside of mainland Europe since Hadrian IV (1154-59), Leo XIV will likely be remembered by future generations of Catholics. Though his papacy was short, like John XXIII, Leo XIV used his brief time in the Chair of Peter to reach out to the world and preach a message of unity and pastoral action.  Although progressive, theologically, he personally tried to steer the Church on a path of moderation, personally changing little in terms of teaching during his pontificate.  The Third Vatican Council he called is still very much an open book and will likely affect the course of the Church for generations to come.

Born Anthony Patrick Miller, the son of working class parents from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Miller’s family of six children was torn apart by the sectarian violence that has plagued that part of the world.  Miller’s older brother David was killed by a Protestant gang when he was 10 and his younger brother Mark was sent to a life in prison after his part in the murder of a young Protestant girl when Anthony was 18.  The events clearly had an impression on the young Miller who, after being ordained in 1944, sought the most difficult parish assignment that was available at St. Mary’s Parish in the heart of Belfast.  While there, he acted to try to build up relations between all local Christian denominations, creating co-denominational prayer and youth groups.  His efforts were specifically praised by John XXIII, who, in 1960, elevated him to the post of Bishop of  Down and Conner .  While there he continued his work and acted as a uniting force between the faiths, not always successful, but persistent and unrelenting.  His efforts continued to gain him notice, and eventually lead to his appointment as Archbishop of Armagh, the recognized head of the Church in Ireland by John Paul II, in 1982.

When Benedict XVI died suddenly in 2007, after slightly over two years as pope the cardinals were embroiled in considerable infighting and factional splits that had been put off by his election.  While we know less about this Conclave than many others in the past, it seems clear that Henry Hume, the Cardinal Secretary of State, was the clear favorite amongst the Cardinals early on, though it seems that there were as many as 20 candidates considered palpable by at least some group of cardinals, including the ultra-conservative Hans Meier (Austria), the wheelchair-bound intellectual Rizal Tagola (Philippines), the jovial ultra-insider Ennino Bertone (Italy) and the ultra-liberal Rastin Singh (India).  As the conclave dragged on, it seems that Hume lost considerable support as the participants became a little more familiar with the others in their midst, the major candidates who emerged were John Lumbayo (Jamaica), Camerlengo of the Roman Church Johannes Crujiff (Netherlands), Prefect of Catholic Education Alexander Cheng (Chinese American), and Miller himself.  It is uncertain who the front runner was at this point, but it seems certain that Miller was eventually chosen as a suitable compromise candidate around the 7th Ballot, but it wasn’t until the 9th Ballot that the Cardinals finally rallied around Miller, who supposedly garnered wide spread support.  It is believed that many of the Italian cardinals held out against Miller as he was known to only be able to speak English.

He chose the name Leo XIV, which might have been a shock to those who had voted for him thinking he would not live long, as the last Leo (whom he intended to honor with his choice of name) who had been elected for that very reason lasted for over 25 years in the Apostolic See.   As Pope, Leo immediately reiterated the message he had carried with him throughout his life and would continue to champion throughout his papacy; that we are one body in Christ and he immediately declared his intention to call another ecumenical council to, much to the chagrin of traditionalists.

Ironically, his calls for unity almost resulted in schism.  The week following his official investment as Bishop of Rome, a group of 27 bishops from around the world (none of them Cardinals, or even Archbishops) signed a document declaring that Leo was an anti-Pope, citing his call of another council as evidence.  The group claimed to have held a conclave of their own and offered the papacy to Cardinal Scherer of Germany, who flatly refused saying “I support the Pope.”  Leo immediately acted to calm the fears of traditionalist Catholics claiming that his aim was not to bring the Church “up-to-date” but rather to address issues that had not been resolved or have only become prevalent since Vatican II.  Leo issued no excommunications against the bishops who had revolted and all but two (who had decided to effectively excommunicate themselves) merged back into the fold.

When Cardinal Hume retired in 2008, Leo took the unprecedented step of elevating Johannes Cruijff to Cardinal Secretary of State (traditionally, Camerlengo was considered a last stop dead end position).  Many saw this move as a sign from Leo that he wished Cruijff to succeed him as Pope.  However, he immediately followed this move by elevating John Lumbayo to the position of Prefect of the Doctrine of Faith.  It seems to be clear that he had intended one of these two men to be Peter’s next successor, but he wanted to leave it open to the Cardinals.

Though Leo’s travel log was significantly smaller than that of John Paul II’s, he did spend a significant amount of his papacy traveling the world, and made highly publicized visits to 25 different countries.  His kind, gentle and measured demenour endeared him to the faithful and he was quite popular with Catholic youth.  His visits attracted crowds nearly equal to that of John Paul II and the attendees showed a level of enthusiasm and excitement for this pope not seen since John Paul’s tours of the mid-1990’s.

His several meeting with keys members of the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy proved to be both unifying and productive, as the Catholic and a majority of the Orthodox churches were closer, at the end of his papacy than they had been in centuries.  His meetings with Protestant leaders, while received with goodwill, proved to be less successful.

Leo XIV was also less successful in dealing with non-Christian religions than some of his predecessors had been.  His continued pubic insistence that the only true way was through Christ did much to aggravate Islamic-Christian relations in many quarters.  Violence against Christians in the Middle-East increased during his pontificate, though he surely cannot be blamed as the global situation as a whole was deteriorating.

When Russia asserted control over former Central Asia Soviet lands, leading to Russian takeovers of some of those lands through military means, Leo strongly condemned the action and urged peace.  He did likewise when the Chinese began to counteract Russia in a similar fashion.

Rare for a modern pope, Leo only released one encyclical during his six years, Humanae Habitae “On the Human Condition”; a nearly 500 page master work detailing discussing how the Churches positions on human sexuality, social justice, human life, the sacraments, Christian unity, the human soul and free will and the modern state and how they all relate to the modern world.  It was published as a whole and distributed throughout the world almost exactly a year before Leo’s death.  It was quite an achievement for someone not considered to be an intellectual heavy weight.  Leo said of it, “I had a lot of help”.

Of course, the preeminent action of Leo XIV pontificate was his call for a Third Vatican Council.  Though he had promised it from the start, he received much acclaim from Catholics of all persuasions for not rushing into it.  Indeed, he spent the first five years of his reign rigorously consulting theologians of all strips, Curial members and several synods of bishops before calling the Council on March 17, 2013 (St. Patrick’s Day).  In his speech announcing the start of the Council he stated that “Like St. Patrick, we must all serve as witnesses to Christ to the world.  I only call this council so that we might be better witnesses to that truth.”

Leo XIV would not get to see the real fruits of his council, however.  He suffered a major stroke on October 18th.  It was hoped that he might recover upon his return from the hospital in mid-November, but his condition slowly reverted as complication mounted.  He Vatican announced on December 19th that his condition had become “grave.”  And on Christmas Day, he passed away in the Papal Apartment, the Bell of St. Marco which announced his ascendance to the Chair of Peter, announced his passing from this world.  His last words, heard to have been spoken at 7AM Christmas Day were, “This is the day the Lord has made.”  He was listening to a version of “Hear I Am Lord” (one of his favorite songs) when he finally passed.

The public outpour of grief was immediate, as many Catholics from all over the world, broke with their normal Christmas routine to go to the Vatican, and pray and then grieve for, the stricken pope.  The global media mourned his loss with nearly the same intensity as they had John Paul II and his viewing and funeral were as well attended. At his funeral, Cardinal Cruijff lamented his loss stating with tears “An angel has passed from us.”  That seems to have been the sum total of the reaction of all Christians and even secularists alike.

[12th Doctor]

Took me a bit longer to get that out than I had hoped.  Sorry, but here it is.

[12th Doctor]

Are we going to do another one of these?  I joined too late to do the first one, but would love to do a sequel.

Eventually... I have quite a bit on my plate at the moment.