Pray for cardinals to follow Holy Spirit in electing next pope - priest

As the Catholic Church marks the end of Pope Francis’ papacy and prepares for the conclave, a canon lawyer urged the Filipino faithful to pray for the cardinal electors, trust God, and obey the Holy Spirit’s selection.

According to the provisions of the Universi Dominici Gregis (The Lord's Whole Flock), the cardinals vote for the Bishop of Rome, also called the successor of St. Peter or the Supreme Pontiff.

Fr. Ritz Darwin Resuello, Adjutant Juridical Vicar of the Diocese of Malolos, said the election of the next pope is a “spiritual event,” not a “democratic exercise” or “popularity contest.”

“Let us pray that the cardinal electors be docile to the Holy Spirit, who is the primary agent in the Conclave,” Resuello told GMA News Online.

“Trust that God will send us the leader that we need in this part of human history. Obey whomever the Holy Spirit would choose through the Conclave,” he added.

Three of the five cardinals in the Philippines are eligible to participate in the papal election.

They are Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, and Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Meanwhile, Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Cotabato Archbishop Emeritus Orlando Cardinal Quevedo cannot participate in the election since they are over 80 years old.

However, they may join the preparatory General Congregations of the College of Cardinals.

In preparation for the conclave, the first College of Cardinals General Congregation was held at the Vatican Synod Hall on Tuesday, where 60 cardinals attended.

During the conclave, the cardinals electors will gather in the Sistine Chapel, entirely isolated from the outside world until the new pope is elected.

Resuello explained that there will be up to four ballots a day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, until the new pope is elected.

The ballots where votes are cast are then mixed, counted, and read aloud by three cardinals known as scrutineers. A two-thirds majority is required to elect the new Bishop of Rome.

Once a new Bishop of Rome is chosen, white smoke (fumata bianca) appears from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, while a black smoke (fumata nera) indicates an inconclusive vote.

The Dean of the College asks the elected cardinal, “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” If he says yes, he chooses a papal name.

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke and irreversible heart failure. He recently suffered from double pneumonia, which caused him to be hospitalized for weeks.

On Tuesday, the Vatican announced that the funeral service will be held on Saturday in St. Peter's Square.

In his will, Pope Francis asked to be buried in a simple, unadorned tomb inside his beloved Roman basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore. — VBL, GMA Integrated News