World’s cardinals hold first General Congregation of Sede Vacante

March 04, 2013 - In the first major event in the process of electing a new Pope, following the end of the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI on Feb, 28, 142 or the world’s 207 cardinals in the first of a series of General Congregations in the Vatican on Monday. The general congregation took place in a "warm, serene atmosphere of great spiritual communion," Holy See’s spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi told a press conference. Of the 142 cardinals, 103 were electors, with the remaining 12 electors still to arrive, indicating a date for the conclave t elect a new Pope has yet of be fixed. All the cardinals, both voters as well as non-voters, are expected to participate in these closed-door General Congregations which focus on the situation and challenges of the Catholic Church, to orientate the cardinal electors make a spiritually wise and mature choice of the new Pope at a conclave. The formalities of the congregation followed the regulations of "Universi Dominici Gregis,” the 1996 Apostolic Constitution that defines the procedure of the election of a new Pope.
Following a brief welcome address by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the cardinals invoked the Holy Spirit and recited the first part of the solemn oath for the election of the Pontiff in unison. Then each Cardinal present, made his way to the Book of the Gospels, placed beneath a Crucifix and sealed the oath. After that there was the election of three representatives who will aid the Camerlengo in the government of the Church for a period of three days. Fr. Lombardi said there were 13 ‘dense and precise’ interventions from the prelates on the organization and work schedule in the days ahead, and participants also had the chance of exchanging views and information informally during a break. The cardinals unanimously backed the Dean’s proposal to send a message to the Emeritus Pope, Benedict XVI. The second General Congregation was scheduled for Monday evening, at which the former preacher of the papal household, Capuchin priest Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa was to deliver a meditation.