No Pope.

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atheistgirl

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What does this particular time mean for the Church?

Are there any specific dangers that must be guarded against, or is it more of an administration issue?

Is there a ‘‘deputy’’ who is appointed to deal with major issues until the conclave elect the next Pope, or is everything basically shut down until the next successor to Peter is elected?

I don’t understand what this time means for the world wide Catholic Church and what, if any, the implications are.

Sarah x 🙂
 
atheistgirl said:
What does this particular time mean for the Church?

Are there any specific dangers that must be guarded against, or is it more of an administration issue?

Is there a ‘‘deputy’’ who is appointed to deal with major issues until the conclave elect the next Pope, or is everything basically shut down until the next successor to Peter is elected?

I don’t understand what this time means for the world wide Catholic Church and what, if any, the implications are.

Sarah x 🙂
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Basically it is no different than when a Pope dies - we carry on. The various official Church Congregations in Rome will continue to function; the Vatican state will continue to function and the Bishops/Religious Superiors of the world will continue to run their respective flocks. What will be on hold are any decisions reserved to the Pope or that he needs to have (name removed by moderator)ut on until the next Pope is elected.
 
TheDoctor said:
Basically it is no different than when a Pope dies - we carry on. The various official Church Congregations in Rome will continue to function; the Vatican state will continue to function and the Bishops/Religious Superiors of the world will continue to run their respective flocks. What will be on hold are any decisions reserved to the Pope or that he needs to have (name removed by moderator)ut on until the next Pope is elected.
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Thank you.

I was curious as to what happened now until such time as the new Pope is elected.

So it’s business as usual really except for those things that only the Pope can do/authorize by virtue of his Office.

Sarah x 🙂
 
Can. 335 When the Roman See is vacant or entirely impeded, nothing is to be altered in the governance of the universal Church; the special laws issued for these circumstances, however, are to be observed.

See here for the Wikipedia article on these special laws.
 
Check this out 😃

My wiki summary follows :o

Until a successor Pope can be elected, the Camerlengo serves as acting head of State of the Vatican City. He is not, however, currently responsible for the government of the Catholic Church during a sede vacante…in fact, all of the heads of the Roman Curia resign their offices (the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Church). That task is in the hands of the College of Cardinals (although this power of government is extremely limited, being merely enough to allow Church institutions to continue to operate and perform some basic functions without making any definitive decisions or appointments that are normally reserved to other powers delegated by the Pope).

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. is currently the Camerlengo - previously Secretary of State.

http://bluenred.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/2483053814_800a92210e.jpg?w=165&h=171

The Coat of Arms of the Holy See* sede vacante* is for the time being the one of the Camerlengo:



This is not the episcopal Coat of Arms of Card. Bertone. The Umbraculum (Italian: Ombrellino, “little umbrella”) is a historic piece of the papal regalia and insignia, once used on a daily basis to provide shade for the pope. In modern usage the umbraculum is a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church and the authority of a pope over it.

St. Peter’s Basilica, in fact, is not a cathedral since it is not the seat of a bishop; the *cathedra *of the Bishop of Rome is located in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. Thus the “vacant seat” is the *cathedra *of Saint John Lateran, the cathedral church of the bishop of Rome.

This time is also called interregnum. Cardinals present in Rome are required to wait at least fifteen days after the start of the vacancy for the rest of the college before they can hold the conclave to elect the new Pope. However, after twenty days have elapsed, they must hold the conclave even if cardinals are missing. Between the 15 to 20 days, by means of two instruments, the General and the Particular Congregation, the College of Cardinals governs the Holy See. They can discuss the state of the Church and exchange views concerning the election, but are bound to “abstain from any form of pact, agreement, promise or other commitment of any kind which could oblige them to give or deny their vote to a person or persons”, or to “enter into any stipulations, committing themselves of common accord to a certain course of action should one of them be elevated to the Pontificate”.

Then the conclave begins. But that is another topic 🙂

P.s.: I guess I could have picked another photo of Card. Bertone, but I like that one because it portrays the idea of stability 😉
 
As this is the Catholic Church we’re talking about, I just knew it was going to get complicated :D:D:D

Sarah x 🙂
 
R_C said:
Cardinals present in Rome are required to wait at least fifteen days . . . before they can hold the conclave . . .
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Actually the 15 day waiting period is waived if all elector cardinals are present, per Benedict XVI’s last motu, Normas nunnullas. (See the ZENIT article.)
 
atheistgirl said:
As this is the Catholic Church we’re talking about, I just knew it was going to get complicated :D:D:D

Sarah x 🙂
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God runs the show at all times though. No matter who is in the seat or if it is vacant or not. So when it comes down to it so deep down it isn’t that complicated.
 
No Pope/??!! Now you know how the Orthodox feel!!:😃
Actually I will miss him and I hope he continues to write. His works on the life of Jesus are great for everyone. We pray that his successor continues the process of bringing East and West closer together.
 
Great exchange, thanks for all that information.
Listening to some coverage, one cardinal is said to have expressed how Pope Benedict’s resignation is somewhat destabilizing, setting precedent for human forces to exert their influence in various ways. So, imagine, a million Catholics signing a petition that the Pope resign… while we can always fall back on faith, on how Catholicism is not a democracy… it can not be immune to the better argument… and while numbers do not make an argument right, it is hard to think that everything a million Catholics say is wrong.
We live in interesting times.
 
(_/)
(O.o)
(> <)

I like Bunny and will surely help him to dominate the world!:D:p
 
Pilosopo said:
Great exchange, thanks for all that information.
Listening to some coverage, one cardinal is said to have expressed how Pope Benedict’s resignation is somewhat destabilizing, setting precedent for human forces to exert their influence in various ways. So, imagine, a million Catholics signing a petition that the Pope resign… while we can always fall back on faith, on how Catholicism is not a democracy… it can not be immune to the better argument… and while numbers do not make an argument right, it is hard to think that everything a million Catholics say is wrong.
We live in interesting times.
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A million signatures in the age of the internet is almost nothing. Besides, who decides that the signatores are even Catholic?
 
R_C said:
Check this out 😃

My wiki summary follows :o

Until a successor Pope can be elected, the Camerlengo serves as acting head of State of the Vatican City. He is not, however, currently responsible for the government of the Catholic Church during a sede vacante…in fact, all of the heads of the Roman Curia resign their offices (the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Church). That task is in the hands of the College of Cardinals (although this power of government is extremely limited, being merely enough to allow Church institutions to continue to operate and perform some basic functions without making any definitive decisions or appointments that are normally reserved to other powers delegated by the Pope).

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. is currently the Camerlengo - previously Secretary of State.
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Also…

The Cardinal Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome maintains his office and administers the Diocese of Rome. (Kind of like a Diocesean Administrator would in a regular diocese.)

The Cardinal Vicar General of Vatican City maintains his office and handles the spiritual needs of the residents of Vatican City.

Finally, the Cardinal Apostolic Major Penitentiary is always available (even during the conclave) to handle matters pertaining to excommunications and the power of the keys. If I remember correctly, the Cardinal Major Penitentiary is the only cardinal who is allowed to leave and return to a conclave.
 
RobbyS said:
A million signatures in the age of the internet is almost nothing. Besides, who decides that the signatores are even Catholic?
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Well numbers may not be all that important. Let’s say there are a thousand… put in some bishops, priests and nuns, perhaps a cardinal. I believe it was only last year when Pope Benedict had a certain Archbishop Sartain address a body of religious sisters in the US regarding their fidelity to Catholic teaching.
Anyway I guess this is speculation, of what might happen and what seems worrisome.
I’d agree to “crossing the bridge when we get there.”
 
Pilosopo said:
Well numbers may not be all that important. Let’s say there are a thousand… put in some bishops, priests and nuns, perhaps a cardinal. I believe it was only last year when Pope Benedict had a certain Archbishop Sartain address a body of religious sisters in the US regarding their fidelity to Catholic teaching.
Anyway I guess this is speculation, of what might happen and what seems worrisome.
I’d agree to “crossing the bridge when we get there.”
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Having grown up in a Protestant environment,having attended a Baptist and then a Cumberland Presbyterian church, until I was about 14, I was well aware, if nor steeped in the reformation spirit, and so I was somewhat amazed how little so many nuns knew about the theological views of the Reformation, and how their “new” views so closely resembled those of the Protestant Reformers.
 
Ad_Orientem said:
Actually the 15 day waiting period is waived if all elector cardinals are present, per Benedict XVI’s last motu, Normas nunnullas. (See the ZENIT article.)
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I gather the Cardinals who have just arrived don’t want to be rushed into an early vote. Like us, they are trying to discern the Lord’s will and are looking for a sign. I know that the Lord’s voice is seldom heard in the thunder, more often comes as a whisper. For me the sign was Cardinal Ratzinger’s hair blowing in the wind at thre funeral mass, and the look on his face, which seemed to be the look of a lion rather than his normal meek expression.
 
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