POPE BENEDICT XVI Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, & the 265th Successor of Peter
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POPE
BENEDICT
XVI
Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, &
the 265th Successor of Peter
April 19, 2005 - February 28, 2013
PRESENTATION
Dear Clergy and Dear Faithful in Christ:
I present you with this special booklet about Pope Benedict XVI at the end of his ministry as Bishop of Rome,
Vicar of Christ, and the 265th Successor of Peter. Such a text is first meant to be a tool for prayer, and, through
this, an instrument of education to deepen both the faith and the full and active participation of all of the faithful
in the life of the Church. We would like to dedicate it to all the clergy and faithful of the Holy Church, especially
those devoted and hard-working members of the clergy who are laboring in the fields of the Maronite Church in
America and elsewhere in the world. We encourage all to accompany the College of Cardinals, who will elect our
new pope, through prayers, sacrifices, penance and devotions to the Blessed Sacrament, the Virgin Mary and the
patron saint of each individual, family, parish or group of faithful.
The media, including the social media and the internet-based World Wide Web, have covered the events of
the last few weeks with awe and reverence. Initiatives have been started to involve the faithful in the voting for
a new pope through the adoption of a cardinal in prayer. I ask each of you to consecrate a special time each day
for this, to set it aside to learn about and to pray for one of the Cardinal electors in the March conclave. I ask you
also to carry this cardinal with you throughout the day in your thoughts and prayers. As a result of these beautiful
efforts, each of the cardinals will be lifted up so that they can truly discern the voice of God through the prayer of
the faithful. It is said that “Vox populi vox Dei”; that is, God listens to the voice of His people in prayer, and He
speaks through the prayer of His people.
The Office of Evangelization and Catechesis in the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon will accompany the Holy
Church during this special period by offering this booklet, consecrated to Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus of
the Holy Catholic Church. We present it to clergy and faithful to inform them in a direct way about the process of
the election of the new pope, so that they can accompany the cardinals with their prayers, in full knowledge and
awareness of the task ahead. I hope you will find this special booklet interesting and useful, and that it will help
you to see the significance of this unique time in which humanity is living. The Catholic Church, in the decision of
Pope Benedict XVI to renounce the papacy, is making a true profession of faith and statement of trust in God Al-
mighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the universal Master of the Church.
In the pages that follow, you will find the official list of names of all 115 Cardinal electors who will vote
for the new pope; this list may indeed contain the name of the next pope.
Following this list you will find the last speech of Pope Benedict XVI that was given today, Thursday, February
28, 2013, to the 140 cardinals who came from around the world to greet the Holy Father and seek his final blessing.
Next, we have enclosed the latest Apostolic Letter and Motu Proprio (Latin: of his own accord) entitled “NORMAS
NONNULLAS”. The importance of this Apostolic Letter, issued as a Motu Proprio, is that it lays out the changes to
the laws, canons, and regulations that will govern the manner in which the 115 cardinals will elect the new pope.
It also contains the protocol and formula of acceptance by which the new elected pope will solemnly declare and
accept his new office as Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ and 266th Successor of Peter.
We pray for the Pope. We pray for all the cardinals. I ask all of our clergy and faithful to join me in adopting
in prayer His Eminence and Beatitude Mar Bechara Boutros Cardinal Al-Rahi, the Patriarch of our Maronite
Church in a special way. May all the faithful join us in praying also for at least one of the other Cardinal electors.
May God hear our prayers. May He reveal His will to Cardinal Al-‐Rahi and the 114 other cardinals so that they will
elect a Vicar of Christ, Bishop of Rome and Successor of Saint Peter who will continue leading the Ship of Saint Pe-
ter to the safe harbor of salvation, peace and glory.
Finally, we provide the clergy and faithful with two special prayers. On the one hand, these prayers are meant
to accompany the Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, who at 8:00 pm today, February 28,
2013, officially gave up his role as Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ and Successor of Peter. On the other hand,
they are meant to involve the clergy and faithful of the Holy Church in spiritually supporting and assisting the 115
Cardinal electors in the College of Cardinals who will meet soon to elect the new pope. From this hour on, let us
join the cardinals in spirit and pray for their safe arrival to the conclave in Rome. There let us accompany them
through responsible prayer and good Christian behavior. Let each one of us pray for a Cardinal elector so that Al-
mighty God will enlighten all of their minds and hearts.
May God reveal His clear will, through our prayer and our unity with all the cardinals, that by the intercession of
Mary, Sea of Wisdom, Mother of the Church, and Mother of Divine Mercy, the Church will be edified in faith, hope
and love. May these days reveal that the Church is working for the common good of humanity and for the adoration
and glory of God
Fr. Andre Y-Sebastian MAHANNA. S.T.L
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.
Thursday Feb. 28- 2013
I- LIST AND COUNTRIES OF ALL 115 CARDINAL ELECTORS IN THE UPCOMING PAPAL
CONCLAVE IN MARCH 2013
REFERENCE: “Cardinal electors for the papal conclave, 2013”,
Wikipedia On Line Dictionary, retrieved Thursday, February 28, 2013
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_electors_for_the_papal_conclave,_2013]
The following is a list of Cardinal electors who are eligible and will be participating in the 2013 papal conclave.
Cardinals are ranked in order of precedence, with Cardinal Bishops having the highest precedence, followed by Car-
dinal Priests, then Cardinal Deacons. Precedence within each group is determined by the date of elevation to the
cardinalate. In addition to those listed below, an additional 90 living cardinals are excluded from the conclave by
reason of age. The youngest of these, Lubomyr Husar of Ukraine, turned 80 only two days before the pope’s resig-
nation took effect.
No Name Date of Birth Country Office Rank
Prefect Emeritus of the Congrega-
1 Giovanni Battista Re 30 January 1934 Italy Cardinal-Bishop
tion for Bishops
Secretary of State and Camerlengo
2 Tarcisio Bertone 2-Dec-1934 Italy Cardinal-Bishop
of the Holy Roman Church
Patriarch emeritus of Alexandria of Cardinal-Bishop/Pa-
3 Antonios Naguib 18-Mar-1935 Egypt
the Copts triarch
Patriarch of Antioch of the Maroni- Cardinal-Bishop/Pa-
4 Béchara Boutros Raï 25-Feb-1940 Lebanon
tes triarch
Archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-
5 Godfried Danneels 5-Jun-1933 Belgium Cardinal-Priest
Brussels
6 Joachim Meisner 25-Dec-1933 Germany Archbishop of Cologne Cardinal-Priest
Nicolás de Jesús
7 31-Oct-1936 Dominican Republic Archbishop of Santo Domingo Cardinal-Priest
López Rodríguez
Archbishop emeritus of Los An-
8 Roger Mahony 27-Feb-1936 United States Cardinal-Priest
geles
Jaime Lucas Ortega y Archbishop of San CristÛbal de la
9 18-Oct-1936 Cuba Cardinal-Priest
Alamino Habana
10 Jean-Claude Turcotte 26-Jun-1936 Canada Archbishop emeritus of Montreal Cardinal-Priest
Bosnia and Herze-
11 Vinko Puljić 8-Sep-1945 Archbishop of Vrhbosna Cardinal-Priest
govina
Juan Sandoval Íñi- Archbishop emeritus of Guadala-
12 28-Mar-1933 Mexico Cardinal-Priest
guez jara
Antonio Maria Rouco
13 24-Aug-1936 Spain Archbishop of Madrid Cardinal-Priest
Varela
14 Dionigi Tettamanzi 14-Mar-1934 Italy Archbishop emeritus of Milan Cardinal-Priest
15 Polycarp Pengo 5-Aug-1944 Tanzania Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam Cardinal-Priest
16 Christoph Schönborn 22-Jan-1945 Austria Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal-Priest
Norberto Rivera
17 6-Jun-1942 Mexico Archbishop of Mexico (City) Cardinal-Priest
Carrera
18 Francis George 16-Jan-1937 United States Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal-Priest
Prefect of the Congregation for
19 Zenon Grocholewski 11-Oct-1939 Poland Cardinal-Priest
Catholic Education
20 Crescenzio Sepe 2-Jun-1943 Italy Archbishop of Naples Cardinal-Priest
President emeritus of Pontifical
21 Walter Kasper 5-Mar-1933 Germany Council for Promoting Christian Cardinal-Priest
Unity
Prefect emeritus of the Congre-
22 Ivan Dias 14-Apr-1936 India gation for the Evangelization of Cardinal-Priest
Peoples
Geraldo Majella Archbishop emeritus of S„o Salva-
23 19-Oct-1933 Brazil Cardinal-Priest
Agnelo dor da Bahia
24 Audrys Backis 1-Feb-1937 Lithuania Archbishop of Vilnius Cardinal-Priest
Francisco Javier Er- Archbishop emeritus of Santiago
25 5-Sep-1933 Chile Cardinal-Priest
rázuriz Ossa de Chile
No Name Date of Birth Country Office Rank
Julio Terrazas San- Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la
26 7-Mar-1936 Bolivia Cardinal-Priest
doval Sierra
27 Wilfrid Napier 8-Mar-1941 South Africa Archbishop of Durban Cardinal-Priest
Óscar Andrés Rodrí-
28 29-Dec-1942 Honduras Archbishop of Tegucigalpa Cardinal-Priest
guez Maradiaga
Juan Luis Cipriani
29 28-Dec-1943 Peru Archbishop of Lima Cardinal-Priest
Thorne
Prefect emeritus of Congregation
30 Cláudio Hummes 8-Aug-1934 Brazil Cardinal-Priest
for the Clergy
31 Jorge Bergoglio 17-Dec-1936 Argentina Archbishop of Buenos Aires Cardinal-Priest
32 José Policarpo 26-Feb-1936 Portugal Archbishop of Lisbon Cardinal-Priest
33 Severino Poletto 18-Mar-1933 Italy Archbishop emeritus of Turin Cardinal-Priest
34 Karl Lehmann 16-May-1936 Germany Bishop of Mainz Cardinal-Priest
35 Angelo Scola 7-Nov-1941 Italy Archbishop of Milan Cardinal-Priest
Anthony Olubunmi
36 16-Jun-1936 Nigeria Archbishop emeritus of Lagos Cardinal-Priest
Okogie
37 Gabriel Zubeir Wako 27-Feb-1941 Sudan Archbishop of Khartoum Cardinal-Priest
38 Carlos Amigo Vallejo 23-Aug-1934 Spain Archbishop emeritus of Seville Cardinal-Priest
Archbishop emeritus of Philadel-
39 Justin Francis Rigali 19-Apr-1935 United States Cardinal-Priest
phia
President emeritus of the Pontifical
40 Ennio Antonelli 18-Nov-1936 Italy Cardinal-Priest
Council for the Family
President of the Pontifical Council
41 Peter Turkson 11-Oct-1948 Ghana Cardinal-Priest
for Justice and Peace
Telesphore Placidus
42 15-Oct-1939 India Archbishop of Ranchi Cardinal-Priest
Toppo
43 George Pell 8-Apr-1941 Australia Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal-Priest
44 Josip Bozanic 20-Mar-1949 Croatia Archbishop of Zagreb Cardinal-Priest
45 Pham Minh Man 5-Mar-1934 Vietnam Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City Cardinal-Priest
46 Philippe Barbarin 17-Oct-1950 France Archbishop of Lyon Cardinal-Priest
47 Péter Erdő 25-Jun-1952 Hungary Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest Cardinal-Priest
Prefect of the Congregation for
48 Marc Ouellet 8-Jun-1944 Canada Cardinal-Priest
Bishops
Vicar General of His Holiness for
49 Agostino Vallini 17-Apr-1940 Italy Cardinal-Priest
the Diocese of Rome
50 Jorge Urosa 28-Aug-1942 Venezuela Archbishop of Caracas Cardinal-Priest
51 Jean-Pierre Ricard 25-Sep-1944 France Archbishop of Bordeaux Cardinal-Priest
Prefect of the Congregation for
Antonio Cañizares
52 10-Oct-1945 Spain Divine Worship and the Discipline Cardinal-Priest
Llovera
of the Sacraments
Seán Patrick
53 29-Jun-1944 United States Archbishop of Boston Cardinal-Priest
O'Malley
54 Stanislaw Dziwisz 27-Apr-1939 Poland Archbishop of KrakÛw Cardinal-Priest
55 Carlo Caffarra 1-Jun-1938 Italy Archbishop of Bologna Cardinal-Priest
56 Seán Brady 16-Aug-1939 Ireland Archbishop of Armagh Cardinal-Priest
Lluís Martínez
57 29-Apr-1937 Spain Archbishop of Barcelona Cardinal-Priest
Sistach
58 André Vingt-Trois 7-Nov-1942 France Archbishop of Paris Cardinal-Priest
59 Angelo Bagnasco 14-Feb-1943 Italy Archbishop of Genoa Cardinal-Priest
No Name Date of Birth Country Office Rank
60 Théodore-Adrien Sarr 28-Nov-1936 Senegal Archbishop of Dakar Cardinal-Priest
61 Oswald Gracias 24-Dec-1944 India Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal-Priest
62 Francisco Robles Ortega 2-Mar-1949 Mexico Archbishop of Guadalajara Cardinal-Priest
63 Daniel DiNardo 23-May-1949 United States Archbishop of Galveston-Houston Cardinal-Priest
64 Odilo Scherer 21-Sep-1949 Brazil Archbishop of S„o Paulo Cardinal-Priest
65 John Njue 1944 Kenya Archbishop of Nairobi Cardinal-Priest
Raúl Eduardo Vela Chiri-
66 1-Jan-1934 Ecuador Archbishop emeritus of Quito Cardinal-Priest
boga
Laurent Monsengwo
67 7-Oct-1939 Congo Archbishop of Kinshasa Cardinal-Priest
Pasinya
68 Paolo Romeo 20-Feb-1938 Italy Archbishop of Palermo Cardinal-Priest
69 Donald Wuerl 12-Nov-1940 United States Archbishop of Washington Cardinal-Priest
Raymundo Damasceno
70 15-Feb-1937 Brazil Archbishop of Aparecida Cardinal-Priest
Assis
71 Kazimierz Nycz 1-Feb-1950 Poland Archbishop of Warsaw Cardinal-Priest
72 Malcolm Ranjith 15-Nov-1947 Sri Lanka Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal-Priest
73 Reinhard Marx 21-Sep-1953 Germany Archbishop of Munich and Freising Cardinal-Priest
Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-
74 George Alencherry 19-Apr-1945 India Cardinal-Priest
Angamaly
Thomas Christopher
75 16-Jan-1947 Canada Archbishop of Toronto Cardinal-Priest
Collins
76 Dominik Duka 26-Apr-1943 Czech Republic Archbishop of Prague Cardinal-Priest
77 Wim Eijk 22-Jun-1953 Netherlands Archbishop of Utrecht Cardinal-Priest
78 Giuseppe Betori 25-Feb-1947 Italy Archbishop of Florence Cardinal-Priest
79 Timothy M. Dolan 6-Feb-1950 United States Archbishop of New York Cardinal-Priest
80 Rainer Woelki 18-Aug-1956 Germany Archbishop of Berlin Cardinal-Priest
81 John Tong Hon 31-Jul-1939 China Bishop of Hong Kong Cardinal-Priest
82 Baselios Cleemis 15-Jun-1959 India Major Archbishop of Trivandrum Cardinal-Priest
83 John Onaiyekan 29-Jan-1944 Nigeria Archbishop of Abuja Cardinal-Priest
84 Rubén Salazar Gómez 22-Sep-1942 Colombia Archbishop of Bogot· Cardinal-Priest
85 Luis Antonio Tagle 21-Jun-1957 Philippines Archbishop of Manila Cardinal-Priest
President of the Pontifical Council Cardinal-Deacon/
86 Jean-Louis Tauran 3-Apr-1943 France
for Interreligious Dialogue Protodeacon
President of Financial Information
87 Attilio Nicora 16-Mar-1937 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
Authority
Prefect emeritus of the Congrega-
88 William Levada 15-Jun-1936 United States Cardinal-Deacon
tion for the Doctrine of the Faith
Prefect emeritus of Congregation
89 Franc Rodé 23-Sep-1934 Slovenia for Institutes of Consecrated Life Cardinal-Deacon
and Societies of Apostolic Life
Prefect of the Congregation for the
90 Leonardo Sandri 18-Nov-1943 Argentina Cardinal-Deacon
Oriental Churches
President emeritus of the Pontifical
91 Giovanni Lajolo 3-Jan-1935 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
Commission for Vatican City State
President emeritus of the Pontifical
92 Paul Josef Cordes 5-Sep-1934 Germany Cardinal-Deacon
Council Cor Unum
Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica,
93 Angelo Comastri 17-Sep-1943 Italy Vicar General for the Vatican City Cardinal-Deacon
State
President of the Pontifical Council
94 Stanislaw Rylko 4-Jul-1945 Poland Cardinal-Deacon
for the Laity
No Name Date of Birth Country Office Rank
Archivist and Librarian emeritus of
95 Raffaele Farina 24-Sep-1933 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
the Holy Roman Church
Prefect of the Congregation for the
96 Angelo Amato 8-Jun-1938 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
Causes of Saints
President of the Pontifical Council
97 Robert Sarah 15-Jun-1945 Guinea Cardinal-Deacon
Cor Unum
Archpriest Emeritus of the Basilica
98 Francesco Monterisi 28-May-1934 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of
99 Raymond Leo Burke 30-Jun-1948 United States Cardinal-Deacon
the Apostolic Signature
President of the Pontifical Council
100 Kurt Koch 15-Mar-1950 Switzerland Cardinal-Deacon
for Promoting Christian Unity
Vice-Chamberlain emeritus of the
101 Paolo Sardi 1-Sep-1934 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
Holy Roman Church
Prefect of the Congregation for the
102 Mauro Piacenza 15-Sep-1944 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
Clergy
President emeritus of the Prefecture
103 Velasio de Paolis 19-Sep-1935 Italy for the Economic Affairs of the Cardinal-Deacon
Holy See
President of the Pontifical Council
104 Gianfranco Ravasi 18-Oct-1942 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
for Culture
Prefect of the Congregation for the
105 Fernando Filoni 15-Apr-1946 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
Evangelization of Peoples
Manuel Monteiro de
106 29-Mar-1938 Portugal Major Penitentiary Cardinal-Deacon
Castro
Archpriest of the Basilica di Santa
107 Santos Abril y Castelló 21-Sep-1935 Spain Cardinal-Deacon
Maria Maggiore
President of the Pontifical Council
108 Antonio Maria Vegliò 3-Feb-1938 Italy for the Pastoral Care of Migrants Cardinal-Deacon
and Itinerants
President of the Pontifical Commis-
109 Giuseppe Bertello 1-Oct-1942 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
sion for Vatican City State
President of the Pontifical Council
110 Francesco Coccopalmerio 6-Mar-1938 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
for Legislative Texts
Prefect of the Congregation for
111 João Braz de Aviz 24-Apr-1947 Brazil Institutes of Consecrated Life and Cardinal-Deacon
Societies of Apostolic Life
Grand Master of the Equestrian
112 Edwin Frederick O'Brien 8-Apr-1939 United States Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Cardinal-Deacon
Jerusalem
President of the Administration of
113 Domenico Calcagno 3-Feb-1943 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
President of the Prefecture for the
114 Giuseppe Versaldi 30-Jul-4193 Italy Cardinal-Deacon
Economic Affairs of the Holy See
Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint
115 James Michael Harvey 20-Oct-1949 United States Cardinal-Deacon
Paul Outside the Walls
Non-attending Cardinal electors
The following is a list of Cardinal electors eligible to participate in the conclave who nevertheless chose not
to attend.
Reason cited for
No Name Date of Birth Country Office Rank
not attending
1 Julius Darmaatmadja 20-Dec-1934 Indonesia Archbishop emeritus of Jakarta Cardinal-Priest Ill health
United Archbishop emeritus of Saint Desire not to be a
2 Keith O’Brien 17-Mar-1938 Cardinal-Priest
Kingdom Andrews and Edinburgh distraction
Number of Cardinal electors by country
Composition of the College of Cardinals for the 2013 papal conclave, according to geographic region:
28 – Italy
32 – Rest of Europe
14 – North America
19 – Latin America
11 – Africa
10 – Asia
01 – Oceania
Location of Cardinal Electors
Country Number of Electors
Italy 28
United States 11
Germany 6
Spain, India, Brazil 5 From each (15 total)
France, Poland 4 From each (8 total)
Mexico, Canada 3 From each (6 total)
Portugal, Nigeria, Argentina 2 From each (6 total)
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, China,
Congo, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba,
Czech Republic, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea,
Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Kenya, 1 From each (35 total)
Lebanon, Lithuania, Netherlands,
Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Slovenia,
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Switzerland, Tanzania, Venezuela,
Vietnam
Country 115
II- POPE: FAREWELL DISCOURSE TO COLLEGE OF CARDINALS (FULL TEXT) (From Vatican Radio) Dear beloved brothers, I welcome you all with great joy and cordially greet each one of you. I thank Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who as al- ways, has been able to convey the sentiments of the College, Cor ad cor loquitur. Thank you, Your Eminence, from my heart. And referring to the disciples of Emmaus, I would like to say to you all that it has also been a joy for me to walk with you over the years in light of the presence of the Risen Lord. As I said yesterday, in front of thousands of peo- ple who filled St. Peter’s Square, your closeness, your advice, have been a great help to me in my ministry. In these 8 years we have experienced in faith beautiful moments of radiant light in the (Church’s) journey along with times when clouds have darkened the sky. We have tried to serve Christ and His Church with deep and total love which is the soul of our ministry. We have (received as a gift the) hope that comes from Christ alone, and which alone can il- luminate our path. Together we can thank the Lord who has helped us grow in communion, to pray together, to help you to continue to grow in this deep unity so that the College of Cardinals is like an orchestra, where diversity, an expression of the universal Church, always contributes to a superior harmony of concord. I would like to leave you with a simple thought that is close to my heart, a thought on the Church, Her mystery, which is for all of us, we can say, the reason and the passion of our lives. I am helped by an expression of Romano Guardini’s, written in the year in which the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council approved the Constitution Lumen Gentium, his last with a personal dedication to me, so the words of this book are particularly dear to me. Guardini says: “The Church is not an institution devised and built at table, but a living reality. She lives along the course of time by transforming Herself, like any living being, yet Her nature remains the same. At Her heart is Christ.” This was our experience yesterday, I think, in the square. We could see that the Church is a living body, animated by the Holy Spirit, and truly lives by the power of God, She is in the world but not of the world. She is of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, as we saw yesterday. This is why another eloquent expression of Guardini’s is also true: “The Church is awakening in souls.” The Church lives, grows and awakens in those souls which like the Virgin Mary accept and conceive the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. They offer to God their flesh and in their own poverty and humility become capable of giving birth to Christ in the world today. Through the Church the mystery of the Incarnation remains present forever. Christ continues to walk through all times in all places. Let us remain united, dear brothers, to this mystery, in prayer, especially in daily Eucharist, and thus serve the Church and all humanity. This is our joy that no one can take from us. Prior to bidding farewell to each of you personally, I want to tell you that I will continue to be close to you in prayer, especially in the next few days, so that you may all be fully docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new Pope. May the Lord show you what is willed by Him. And among you, among the College of Cardinals, there is also the future Pope, to whom, here today, I already promise my unconditional reverence and obedience. For all this, with affection and gratitude, I cordially impart upon you my Apostolic Blessing. III- APOSTOLIC LETTER GIVEN MOTU PROPRIO NORMAS NONNULLAS OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI On some modifications of the norms concerning the election of the Roman Pontiff With the Apostolic Letter ‘De aliquibus mutationibus in normis de electione Romani Pontificis’ given Motu Proprio in Rome on 11 June 2007 in the third year of my pontificate, I established some norms that, rescinding those pre- scribed in n. 75 of the Apostolic Constitution ‘Universi Dominici Gregis’ promulgated by my predecessor Blessed John Paul II, having reestablished the regulation, sanctioned by tradition, according to which a two thirds majority of the votes of the Cardinal electors present is always required for the valid election of the Roman Pontiff. Considering the importance of ensuring the best implementation of what is concerned, albeit with a different sig- nificance, regarding the election of the Roman Pontiff, in particular a more certain interpretation and execution of some provisions, I establish and prescribe that some norms of the Apostolic Constitution ‘Universi Dominici Gregis’, as well as what I myself set forth in the above- mentioned Apostolic Letter, be replaced with the following norms: 35. No Cardinal elector can be excluded from active or passive voice in the election of the Supreme Pontiff, for any reason or pretext, with due regard for the provisions of n. 40 and n. 75 of this Constitution. 37. I furthermore decree that, from the moment when the Apostolic See is lawfully vacant, the Cardinal electors who are present must wait fifteen full days for those who are absent before beginning the Conclave; however, the
College of Cardinals is also granted the faculty to anticipate the beginning of the Conclave if all the Cardinal elec- tors are present as well as the faculty to defer, for serious reasons, the beginning of the election for a few addi- tional days. But when a maximum twenty days have elapsed from the beginning of the vacancy of the See, all the Cardinal electors present are obliged to proceed to the election. 43. From the beginning of the electoral process until the public announcement that the election of the Supreme Pontiff has taken place, or in any case until the new Pope so disposes, the rooms of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, and, in particular, the Sistine Chapel and the areas reserved for liturgical celebrations are to be closed to unauthor- ized persons, by the authority of the Cardinal Camerlengo and with the outside assistance of the Vice Camerlengo and the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, in accordance with the provisions set forth in the following Numbers. During this period, the entire territory of Vatican City and the ordinary activity of the offices located therein shall be regulated, for the period mentioned, in a way that ensures the confidentiality and the free development of all the undertakings connected with the election of the Supreme Pontiff. In particular, provision shall be made, with the help of the Cleric Prelates of the Chamber to ensure that no one approaches the Cardinal electors while they are being transported from the Domus Sanctae Marthae to the Apostolic Vatican Palace. 46, § 1°. In order to meet the personal and official needs connected with the election process, the following indi- viduals must be available and therefore properly lodged in suitable areas within the confines mentioned in n. 43 of this Constitution: the Secretary of the College of Cardinals, who acts as Secretary of the electoral assembly; the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations with eight Masters of Ceremonies and two Religious attached to the Papal Sacristy; and an ecclesiastic chosen by the Cardinal Dean or by the Cardinal taking his place, in order to assist him in his duties. 47. All persons listed in n. 46 and n. 55, § 2° of this Constitution who in any way or at any time should come to learn anything from any source, directly or indirectly, regarding the election process, and in particular regarding the voting which took place in the election itself, are obliged to maintain strict secrecy with all persons extraneous to the College of Cardinal electors: accordingly, before the election begins, they shall take an oath in the form and using the formula indicated in n. 48. 48. The persons listed in n. 46 and n. 55, § 2° of this Constitution, having been duly warned about the meaning and extent of the oath that they are to take, before the start of the election process, shall, in the presence of the Car- dinal Camerlengo or another Cardinal delegated by him, and in the presence of two numerary participant Apostolic Protonotaries, in due course swear and sign the oath according to the following formula: “I, N.N., promise and swear that, unless I should receive a special faculty given expressly by the newly-elected Pontiff or by his successors, I will observe absolute and perpetual secrecy with all who are not part of the College of Cardinal electors concerning all matters directly or indirectly related to the ballots cast and their scrutiny for the election of the Supreme Pontiff.” “I likewise promise and swear to refrain from using any audio or video equipment capable of recording anything which takes place during the period of the election within Vatican City, and in particular anything which in any way, directly or indirectly, is related to the process of the election itself.” “I declare that I take this oath fully aware that an infraction thereof will make me subject to the penalty of ex- communication ‘latae sententiae’, which is reserved to the Apostolic See.” “So help me God and these Holy Gospels, which I touch with my hand.” 49. When the funeral rites for the deceased Pope have been celebrated according to the prescribed ritual, and everything necessary for the regular functioning of the election has been prepared, on the appointed day of the be- ginning of the Conclave established in conformity with the provisions of n. 37 of the present Constitution, the Car- dinal electors shall meet in the Basilica of Saint Peter’s in the Vatican, or elsewhere, should circumstances warrant it, in order to take part in a solemn Eucharistic celebration with the Votive Mass ‘Pro Eligendo Papa’. This celebra- tion should preferably take place at a suitable hour in the morning, so that in the afternoon the prescriptions of the following Numbers of this Constitution can be carried out. 50. From the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where they will assemble at a suitable hour in the afternoon, the Cardinal electors, in choir dress and invoking the assistance of the Holy Spirit with the chant of the ‘Veni Cre- ator’, will solemnly proceed to the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where the election will be held. The Vice Camerlengo, the General Auditor of the Apostolic Camera, and two members of each of the colleges of numerary participant Apostolic Protonotaries, Prelate Auditors of the Roman Rota, and Cleric Prelates of the Chamber will participate in the procession.
51, § 2°. It will therefore be the responsibility of the College of Cardinals, operating under the authority and
responsibility of the Camerlengo, assisted by the Particular Congregation mentioned in n. 7 of the present Constitu-
tion, and with the outside assistance of the Vice Camerlengo and the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, to make
all prior arrangements for the interior of the Sistine Chapel and adjacent areas to be prepared, so that an orderly
election and its privacy will be ensured.
55, § 3°. Should any infraction whatsoever of this norm occur, those responsible should know that they will be sub-
ject to the penalty of excommunication ‘latae sententiae’, which is reserved to the Apostolic See.
62. Since the forms of election known as ‘per acclamationem seu inspirationem’ and ‘per compromissum’ are abol-
ished, 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, at least two thirds of the votes are required,
calculated on the basis of the total number of electors present and voting.
64. The voting process is carried out in three phases. The first phase, which can be called the pre-scrutiny, com-
prises: 1) the preparation and distribution of the ballot papers by the Masters of Ceremonies—called meanwhile into
the Hall together with the Secretary of the College of Cardinals and with the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebra-
tions—who give at least two or three to each Cardinal elector; 2) the drawing by lot, from among all the Cardinal
electors, of three Scrutineers, of three persons charged with collecting the votes of the sick, called for the sake
of brevity ‘Infirmarii’, and of three Revisers; this drawing is carried out in public by the junior Cardinal Deacon,
who draws out nine names, one after another, of those who shall carry out these tasks; 3) if, in the drawing of lots
for the Scrutineers, ‘Infirmarii’ and Revisers, there should come out the names of Cardinal electors who because
of infirmity or other reasons are unable to carry out these tasks, the names of others who are not impeded are to
be drawn in their place. The first three drawn will act as Scrutineers, the second three as ‘Infirmarii’, and the last
three as Revisers.
70, § 2°. The Scrutineers add up all the votes that each individual has received, and if no one has obtained at least
two thirds of the votes on that ballot, the Pope has not been elected; if however it turns out that someone has ob-
tained at least two thirds of the votes, the canonically valid election of the Roman Pontiff has taken place.
75. If the votes referred to in n. 72, 73, and 74 of the above-mentioned Constitution do not result in an election,
a day will be dedicated to prayer, reflection, and discussion. In subsequent votes, in accordance with the proce-
dure established in n. 74 of this same Constitution, only the two whose names have received the greatest number
of votes in the immediately preceding ballot will have the passive electoral right. There can be no waiving of the
requirement that a valid election takes place only by a qualified majority of at least two thirds of the votes of the
cardinals who are present and voting. Moreover, in these ballots, the two persons who enjoy the passive electoral
right lose their active electoral right.
When the election has canonically taken place, the junior Cardinal Deacon summons into the Hall of election the
Secretary of the College of Cardinals, the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, and two Masters of Ceremonies.
The Cardinal Dean, or the Cardinal who is first in order and seniority, in the name of the whole College of electors,
then asks the consent of the one elected in the following words: ‘Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme
Pontiff?’ And, as soon as he has received the consent, he asks him: ‘By what name do you wish to be called?’ Then
the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, acting as notary and having as witnesses the two Masters of Ceremo-
nies, draws up a document certifying acceptance by the new Pope and the name taken by him.
This document will enter into force immediately upon
its publication in the Osservatore Romano. This I do
decree and establish, notwithstanding any instruction
to the contrary.
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on February 22, 2013,
the eighth of my Pontificate.
BENEDICTUS PP XVIIV: SPECIAL PRAYERS
IV-A: DAILY PRAYER TO GOD THE FATHER:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Lord God, my Heavenly Father and Fountain of Life, I adore you and thank you for the gift of life you have given us,
from the beginning of creation. We love you because you gave us the Church in Christ, for peace in the world and
the salvation of the human race.
I promise to renew my baptism that I received in your Son Jesus Christ, in His Passion, Death on the Cross, and
Resurrection, and to adore you in the Holy Spirit for the salvation of the world and for eternal life. Rescue me from
distress and from death itself. Cast out Satan our enemy. Enlighten the hearts and minds of all the voting cardinals,
especially (… ) our beloved Cardinal and father, that they elect the Vicar of Christ, the Bishop of Rome, the Succes-
sor of Saint Peter, to continue leading the Ship of Saint Peter.
Help us all, along with them, to realize in each one of us your image of divinity in the world, which will give eternal
life instead of death. Help us to accept and to announce the salvation you have given us through your Son and our
Savior Jesus Christ.
My God and Heavenly Father, as I lift my eyes to you with tears of sadness and repentance from all my sins, I ask
you to grant to our cardinals and all the faithful the gift of joy and the gift of divine wisdom, and to grant to the
new pope protection from evil and the blessings of the Virgin Mary, my Mother and the Mother of Divine Mercy. May
the election of the new pope, as Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, and Successor of Peter, renew in us the commit-
ment to the Holy Church, through life in the Spirit and Truth.
I love you God, my Father in Heaven, and I promise you, along with all the faithful of the Church, to be uncondi-
tionally obedient to our Holy Father, the Pope, and to all the prelates who are in communion with him, and to trust
and call upon your Holy Name. We adore you and worship you always. Make us to be new apostles to announce your
Good News of Salvation, by living totally in faith, hope and love.
Amen.
IV-B: INVOCATION TO GOD, THE FATHER, TO SEND HIS HOLY SPIRIT:
O God, Our Heavenly Father, you are the Father of Divine Mercies and the Source of every comfort,
you, who on the ninth day after the Ascension of Our Risen Lord into Heaven,
accomplished your promise to us according to the word of your Son,
and sent upon us your Holy Spirit of Divine Mercy and of comfort.
He appeared to the apostles and to Mary, the Mother of Divine Mercy,
like tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them.
As they were filled with the Holy Spirit,
they were able to proclaim your Good News of Salvation to the whole world,
and the Church was born.
I (We) ask you to send your Holy Spirit now upon us and upon those for whom we pray at this hour.
Let your Holy Spirit of Mercies descend upon us and cast away from our midst
every evil spirit, every disease, every fear, every evil passion and desire,
every temptation, every division, conflict and dissention,
every inclination to sin and sadness, every ill will to wage war and to dwell in darkness.
May Your Holy Spirit, descend now upon us and upon those for whom we pray
and confirm us in the Spirit of Unity,
in the Spirit of Faith, Hope and Love, in the Spirit of Divine Mercy and of Divine Talents,
in the Spirit of Pardon, Peace, Joy and Reconciliation, In The Spirit of the Righteous and Just of Old,
in the Spirit of your Mother the Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Mercy
and the Apostles who proclaimed your Good News to the world.
We ask you this, O Heavenly Father, for your glory, for the pardon of mankind,
for the renewal of the Holy Church, for the confirmation of the faith,
and for the salvation and peace of the entire world
in and through Christ Jesus, your Son.
AMEN.
+ Father Andre Y-Sebastian MAHANNA, S.T.L.
Director, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Pastor, St Rafka Maronite Catholic Church, Denver CO.
For Personal Use Only
+With permission of Bishop Robert J. Shaheen, Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
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