VATICAN CITY. Vatican firefighters on Friday completed the symbolic and practical task of installing a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling that preparations for the conclave to elect the next pope are entering their final phase. The conclave is set to begin on May 7 and follows the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88.
The chimney, now standing on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, plays a vital role in communicating the outcome of the secret papal ballots to the outside world. After every two rounds of voting, the ballots are burned in a special furnace. If no pope is elected, the smoke emerging from the chimney is black, a result of mixing the ballots with potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulfur. If a new pope is chosen, the smoke is white, created by burning the ballots with potassium chlorate, lactose, and chloroform resin.
A similar scene occurred on March 13, 2013, when white smoke appeared following the fifth ballot, announcing the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff.
As the chimney was installed, cardinals from around the world gathered in the Vatican for another day of pre-conclave discussions. These daily meetings—formally known as general congregations—allow all cardinals, including those over the voting age of 80, to discuss the Church’s direction and the qualities needed in the next pope.
Recent sessions have focused on the Vatican’s financial struggles and reflections on the governance style of Pope Francis, whose decade-long pontificate was marked by efforts to reform the Roman Curia and elevate lay participation in the Church. While praised by many for his emphasis on the poor and marginalized, Francis was also a polarizing figure for others.
Conservative and traditionalist cardinals, though not believed to hold a majority among the 135 eligible electors, have expressed concerns over reforms that, in their view, blurred the lines of ecclesiastical authority and tradition. These include the 2022 constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which allowed women and laypeople to lead Vatican departments, breaking with centuries of clerical governance.
One of the most outspoken critics in recent days has been Cardinal Beniamino Stella, a retired Vatican official who led the Congregation for the Clergy under Francis. Though ineligible to vote at 83, Stella reportedly used the pre-conclave discussions to voice strong objections to reforms that decoupled governance from ordination.
According to America, a Jesuit-run U.S. magazine, unnamed cardinals said Stella challenged the appointments of lay leaders and women to key roles, most notably Sister Simona Brambilla, now head of the Vatican office overseeing religious orders, and Sister Raffaella Petrini, who runs the Vatican City State administration, which includes oversight of entities such as the Vatican Museums and the very firefighters who installed the chimney Friday.
Their appointments were concrete expressions of Francis’ conviction that “women should have a greater decision-making role in church governance.” Still, some cardinals remain uneasy about shifting such authority outside the ordained priesthood.
Despite differences in opinion, the calls for unity are becoming more pronounced. “The pope has to ensure the unity of all of the church,” said Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the retired head of the Vatican’s evangelization office. “This is first and foremost. Everything else comes after.”
Cardinal Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib, the Archbishop of Santiago, Chile, emphasized the value of diverse perspectives during these deliberations. “For me, that I come from Chile, a far away country, hearing such different experiences is an enrichment, not only for me but for all of the church,” he said.
With just days remaining before the doors of the Sistine Chapel are locked and the conclave begins, anticipation is growing worldwide. The white smoke, when it comes, will again rise over St. Peter’s Square to signal the dawn of a new papacy, and perhaps a new direction for the Catholic Church.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
