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fabio_rocha
Guest
Why the elected pope needs 66% of the cardinal votes, and not 50%?
Why the elected pope needs 66% of the cardinal votes, and not 50%?
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Ad_Orientem
Guest
To prevent antipopes. Cf. Third Council of the Lateran (1179), Canon 1:
To prevent schisms in future, only the cardinals should have the right to elect the pope, and two-thirds of their votes should be required for the validity of such election. If any candidate, after securing only one-third of the votes, should arrogate to himself the papal dignity, both he and his partisans should be excluded from the ecclesiastical order and excommunicated.
Before that it was a simple majority. And before that I believe it was less exact and more along the lines of popular acclaim, though I could be wrong.
To prevent schisms in future, only the cardinals should have the right to elect the pope, and two-thirds of their votes should be required for the validity of such election. If any candidate, after securing only one-third of the votes, should arrogate to himself the papal dignity, both he and his partisans should be excluded from the ecclesiastical order and excommunicated.
Before that it was a simple majority. And before that I believe it was less exact and more along the lines of popular acclaim, though I could be wrong.
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Chatter163
Guest
And a bit more recently, ,Universi Dominici Gregis the Apostolic Constitution ON THE VACANCY OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE AND THE ELECTION OF THE ROMAN PONTIFFof Blessed John Paul II in 1996:
CHAPTER V
THE ELECTION PROCEDURE
62. Since the forms of election known as *per acclamationem seu inspirationem *and *per compromissum *are abolished, the form of electing the Roman Pontiff shall henceforth be *per scrutinium *alone.
I therefore decree that for the valid election of the Roman Pontiff two thirds of the votes are required, calculated on the basis of the total number of electors present.
Should it be impossible to divide the number of Cardinals present into three equal parts, for the validity of the election of the Supreme Pontiff one additional vote is required.
Now, this same same Constitution allowed for a simply majority if no pontiff had been chosen by the 33rd ballot. Benedict XVI changed this in his motu proprio Constiutione apostolica in 2007 (sorry, no English translation on the Vatican website, only Latin and French). He restored the two-thirds requirement, regardless of how many ballots it takes.
CHAPTER V
THE ELECTION PROCEDURE
62. Since the forms of election known as *per acclamationem seu inspirationem *and *per compromissum *are abolished, the form of electing the Roman Pontiff shall henceforth be *per scrutinium *alone.
I therefore decree that for the valid election of the Roman Pontiff two thirds of the votes are required, calculated on the basis of the total number of electors present.
Should it be impossible to divide the number of Cardinals present into three equal parts, for the validity of the election of the Supreme Pontiff one additional vote is required.
Now, this same same Constitution allowed for a simply majority if no pontiff had been chosen by the 33rd ballot. Benedict XVI changed this in his motu proprio Constiutione apostolica in 2007 (sorry, no English translation on the Vatican website, only Latin and French). He restored the two-thirds requirement, regardless of how many ballots it takes.
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Muzhik
Guest
BTW, His Holiness restored the two-thirds requirement to prevent the conclave from being hijacked. 33 ballots comes down to 10 days – first ballot on the first day, then four days of four ballots each, a day of meditation, followed by another 4 days of balloting. If after 33 ballots a pope hadn’t been elected, then after another day of meditation the 50% rule would go into effect. That meant that there could be a large-enough voting block that only had to hold out for 10 days to ensure that their candidate would be elected. Benedict’s removal of the 50% rule meant that wouldn’t happen.
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YoungTradCath
Guest
Basically, the operative reality is, because the Pope says so.
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Lucky7
Guest
Even though it is irrelevant now wouldn’t it have been 50% plus one vote, not 50%?
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aemcpa
Guest
A supermajority shows a true consensus and makes it next to impossible for a minority candidate to contest the election and set up shop as an antipope.
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Capuchinfan1337
Guest
Same reason why Congress needs 2/3rd majority vote to pass a bill.
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Chatter163
Guest
They don’t. A simple majority passes a bill, unless it is an override of a presidential veto. Other things that are not bills, such as impeachments and passing constitutional amendments, require a two-thirds majority.
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sirach2v4
Guest
I think the rationale for 66% majority is to get the unruly cardinals to express their loyalty to the new pontiff.
If 2/3 cannot agree on the selection for a pontiff, then that isn’t strong enough support for anybody to be pope.
The cardinals wouldn’t want to be tied up there forever, so I think it would work if a majority of 90% were required. They simply wouldn’t like sleeping on those old beds for very long.
I think it’s safe to finally elect a French pope again, if there are any exceptionally qualified to be elected. Or, maybe another German or Polish pope.
Let’s have another council, by the way, to resolve the role of women in the Church – married to priests or priests themselves, maybe. If not that, then establish an order of service for exceptionally qualified women.
If 2/3 cannot agree on the selection for a pontiff, then that isn’t strong enough support for anybody to be pope.
The cardinals wouldn’t want to be tied up there forever, so I think it would work if a majority of 90% were required. They simply wouldn’t like sleeping on those old beds for very long.
I think it’s safe to finally elect a French pope again, if there are any exceptionally qualified to be elected. Or, maybe another German or Polish pope.
Let’s have another council, by the way, to resolve the role of women in the Church – married to priests or priests themselves, maybe. If not that, then establish an order of service for exceptionally qualified women.
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aemcpa
Guest
SMH. I need to create a facepalm emoticon.
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Moore11
Guest
Sure thing. They are called nuns.
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