Friday, March 8, 2013

Conclave notes - part 2

When the Conclave starts, it may take a few days until a two-thirds majority is reached by one of the Cardinals. The first time the conclave was held inside the Sistine Chapel was in 1878 when Pope Leo XIII was elected. Before that, elections were held either at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican itself, close to the Papal apartment, or at the Quirinale Palace, the residence of the Italian President. The above chart shows the duration of the recent conclaves, and how many votes it took to elect a Pope in each of the conclaves over the last 100 years or so.
Cardinals during a prayer service inside the Vatican
The eighth General Congregation of the College of Cardinals has decided that the Conclave will begin on Tuesday, 12 March 2013. A “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica in the morning. In the afternoon the cardinals will enter into the Conclave.

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