The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican has been closed to tourists, where cardinals will gather for a conclave to elect the next Pope after the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88. This is reported by UNN with reference to AP News.
Details
Francis was buried on Saturday after a funeral ceremony in St. Peter's Square, which was attended by world leaders and hundreds of thousands of others. The nine-day mourning period lasts until the beginning of the conclave.
However, the Church is already preparing for the election of a new pontiff. The key is the preparation of the Sistine Chapel for the cardinals who will gather in the Vatican to elect the next Pope as part of the ancient electoral process known as the conclave.
One of the key technical tasks is the installation of a chimney in which ballots will be burned after the vote. Those visitors who managed to get inside on Sunday considered themselves lucky, because it is unknown how long the conclave will last, and how long the pearl of the Vatican museums will remain closed.
I think we were very lucky that we were the last group of visitors to enter today. You know, our trip would not have been complete if we had not seen this beautiful place
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When will the papal election take place? According to the schedule determined by church law, the conclave can begin only after a nine-day mourning period.
It is expected to begin between May 5 and 10. When the conclave opens, the cardinals will solemnly enter the Sistine Chapel and sing the Litany of All Saints - a solemn, mystical Gregorian chant that calls for the intercession of the saints as the cardinals enter the chapel and take the oath of secrecy. The chapel's thick double doors will close, and the master of the liturgy will say the Latin words "Extra omnes", which means "everyone out".
The secret process is part of a tradition aimed at protecting the vote from outside interference. After that, the world will wait for a sign that Francis' successor has been elected. Black smoke coming from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel will indicate that the cardinals have not reached a two-thirds majority to elect a new Pope.
But when the Pope is finally elected, white smoke will rise and the bells will ring to signal that 1.4 billion Catholics have a new spiritual leader. This choice will determine whether the next pontiff will continue Francis' reforms, with his focus on the poor, marginalized people and the environment, or whether the cardinals will elect a pontiff closer in style to conservative predecessors such as Benedict XVI, focused on adherence to the doctrine of the Catholic Church.
Background information
The "Sistine Chapel" is named after Pope Sixtus IV, a patron of the arts who oversaw the construction of the main papal chapel in the 15th century. Later, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo, who in 1508 and 1512 painted the ceiling with scenes from the Book of Genesis, and later returned to paint the Last Judgment on one of the walls.
Addition
On the eve of his death, Pope Francis donated almost all his money, about 200,000 euros, to a juvenile detention center in Rome. The funds went to pay off the mortgage for a pasta factory at the prison.