Cardinals worldwide: punctual journey to the Pope election to Rome!

Cardinals worldwide: punctual journey to the Pope election to Rome!

Vienna, Österreich - On April 29, 2025, the cardinals from all over the world were informed that they have to travel to Rome to take part in the funeral of Pope Francis and the upcoming general meetings and the conclave. She received this invitation by email, a sign of technical progress from the past 150 years, which has made it much easier to arrive to Rome. This is in contrast to earlier centuries in which such trips were often lengthy and arduous. Since the death of Pope Pius XII. In 1958 there were no significant difficulties to get to the conclave on time. Historically speaking, cardinals have often had to arrive for several days in the past.

The internationalization of the Cardinal College has been particularly advanced since Pope Francis's pontificate. This development was an important step because the diversity of the participants in the conclaves has increased. The first cardinal from a non-European country was appointed as early as 1875 with John McCloskey. Even if traveling for the cardinals became easier, delays and difficulties occurred again and again in the history of the Pope elections. For example, Cardinal McCloskey arrived in Rome in 1878 five days after the compliance began in Rome and was therefore unable to choose Leo XIII. participate.

historical trips and challenges

There were numerous different arrival and delays in the history of the Pope elections. In the 1903 election, Cardinal James Gibbons was the first non-European to take part in the conclave because he was already in Rome. In the following decades, the punctual journey remained an issue. Cardinal William Henry O’Connell asked in 1922 for an extension of the deadline because he came to the conclave too late. In 1939 the cardinals were granted a period of 15 days to travel to Rome. At the same time, Cardinal Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira was the first cardinal to travel with the plane.

Again and again there were emotional stories about the conclave. For example, Cardinal José María Caro Rodríguez traveled to Rome in 1958 despite his old age of 92. The election in 1958 experienced a tragic turn when Cardinal Edward Aloysius Mooney died of a heart attack just three hours before the compliance began.

The process of the concrete

After the death of Pope Francis, the sedis vacancy begins, during which the Holy Stuhl remains vacant. The funeral service takes place nine days after death, followed by the conclave for the choice of the new Pope, which will be scheduled after at least 15 and at least 20 days. All cardinals under the age of 80 are entitled to vote, currently 136 worldwide. During the compliance, the cardinals are isolated from the outside world and carry red robes that are guarded by the Swiss Guard.

The conclave takes place in the Sistine chapel in Rome. The voting is made individually in front of the altar, and in the first electoral courses a candidate has to receive more than two thirds of the votes. In 2007 Benedict XVI. A regulation that allows you to choose another mode with a simple majority after 33 electoral courses. The ballot boxes are burned up to twice a day and indicate by black or white smoke whether a new pope has been chosen.

The 267th papacy in the history of the Catholic Church is pending, but there is no defined time limit for choosing the new Pope. Historical power struggles and scandals shaped many of the previous elections, while the last complies took place without physical arguments. The highest cardinal bishop under the age of 80, Pietro parolin, will lead the conclave, while the cardinals are committed to comprehensive confidentiality and discipline during these important days.