For current procedures regarding the election of the pope, see pope john paul iis 1996 apostolic constitution universi dominici gregis. The book is a fairly basic overview of the papal election process. Apr 18, 2005 a church historian gives a historical perspective on the papal conclave and stories from past papal elections. From its origins in saint peter, jesus chief disciple, through pope benedict xvi today, the popes have been key players in virtually all of the great dramas of the western world in the last two thousand years. The papal conclave, 17991800 was held in san giorgio monastery in venice, the last. However, because there was no funeral which led to this sede vacante, pope benedict xvi changed the rules to allow the conclave to begin sooner. Francis is the first jesuit pope, the first from the americas, the first from the southern hemisphere, and the first pope from outside europe since the syrian gregory iii, who reigned in the 8th century.
Mar 18, 2015 the meticulous nature of papal elections is by necessity, however, for over the course of the 2,000year history of the papacy, the period after a popes death or resignation has often been one of chaos, confusion and corruption. This allowed time for the papal funeral arrangements. Electing the pope in early modern italy, 14501700 oxford. Oconnell provides a ballotbyballot tally of the voting. From what i understand as a catholic the cardinals meet in a conclave to elect a pope and have to agree to a 23 vote and they are lead by the holy spirit. This event is one for the history books, because its the first conclave in 719 years to take place with the previous pope still alive. This course is designed to illuminate for both catholics and noncatholics the remarkable institution known as the petrine office.
No roundup of papal books would be complete without pontiff, coauthored by my fatherinlaw, max morganwitts. The quirinal palace was the site of the four conclaves prior to the seizure of rome by the forces of the italian unification. For a chronological list of popes and antipopes see the table entitled popes of the roman catholic church. An updated version of the compelling guide by awardwinning author greg tobin. Peter himself constituted a senate for the roman church, consisting of twentyfour priests and deacons. New book on pope francis election reveals the main. At avignon the french popes have the opportunity to create an efficient papal bureaucracy. The election of pope francis is informative and captivatingand. But these firsts were only the beginning of a consequential papacy of historic proportions. An inside account of the conclave that changed history orbis books, gerard oconnell gives the tallies of the five valid ballots cast in.
An inside account of the conclave that changed history, oconnell turns his considerable. His books selecting the pope and holy father were widely used as authoritative resources on the subject and were quoted he was the editor of the catholic advocate, and during the april 2005 papal transition he appeared frequently on national radio and tv programs as an expert commentator on the popes and the papal election process. Any consideration of the election of the pope is founded upon the teaching of the church concerning succession to the papacy, the history of papal elections, and the present legislation governing such elections. An inside account of the conclave that changed history orbis books, 2019 is written by a pious practicing catholic. A history of the popes by eamon duffy first published in 1997, 3rd edition published 2006 an all encompassing history of the papacy from its beginnings nearly 2000 years ago. The election is effected through a secretive process known as a conclave. The author, a friend the pope, now reveals what actually happed inside the.
A survey of research, 19541959 the vast amount of scientific writing published each year in the field of church history is an obvious indication that the temporal development of the catholic church is still a prominent theme in the field of historical research. Yet the prestige of the popes derives from rome, the see of st peter. The more one looks, the more cunning the book seems. Here is a fascinating behindthescenes account of history in the making the election in 20 of cardinal jorge bergoglio, the first latin american pope, the first jesuit pope, and the first pope to choose the name francis. For a significant part of the churchs history, powerful monarchs and. Published in 1983 after over two years of extensive research, the book focuses on the period from 1978 the year which saw the death of pope paul vi, the election and death 33 days later of john paul 1, and the election of john paul.
The papacy is one of the oldest functioning institutions in the world. Since then, there have been more than 260 occupants of the papal office. My question is how can the holy spirit in the past have led corrupt catholic cardinals who used bribes, even killing, or other scandolous means to elect. Apr 15, 2019 april 12, 2019 lifesitenews gerard oconnells new book the election of pope francis, based on many sources, describes in detail the time from the resignation of pope benedict xvi up until. The byzantine papacy was a period of byzantine domination of the roman papacy from 537 to 752, when popes required the approval of the byzantine emperor for episcopal consecration, and many popes were chosen from the apocrisiarii liaisons from the pope to the emperor or the inhabitants of byzantineruled greece, syria, or sicily. A historical perspective of the papal conclave pbs newshour. The dates were further complicated by the changes made to the julian calendar by pope gregory xiii pope 157285 in 1582. Symmachus also instituted the practice of popes naming their own successors, which held until an unpopular choice was made in 530, and discord continued until the selection in 532 of john ii, the first to. The pope generally lives in rome, of which a portion vatican city is politically independent and under his rule. Here are ten of the steps which cover the transition from one pope to another, plus a bonus step which is definitely not required. Electing the pope in early modern italy, 14501700 and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
The pope is considered by catholics to be the apostolic successor of saint peter and earthly head of the catholic church concerns around political interference led to reforms after the interregnum of 12681271 and pope gregory xs decree during the second council of lyons. Another clement named pope clement xi 23 november 1700 19 march 1721 is the youngest of the list. A history of the popes tells the story of the oldest living institution in the western worldthe papacy. Electing the pope in early modern italy, 14501700, by miles. Papal dignity is powerfully expressed in the great palace of the popes, constructed from 34. Papal elections, with their ceremonial pomp and high drama, are compelling theater, but, until now, no one has analyzed them on the basis of the problems they created for cardinals. The loss 1870 of the papal states proved in the end a blessing for the papacy, although it took 60 years to solve the roman questionthe problem of assuring the pope nonnational status in a nationally organized world see lateran. Groups of documents can be used to advantage in topical work. Mar 27, 2019 pattenden approaches early modern papal elections from a thematic rather than a chronological angle. New procedure for electing popes 9011200 church history. The majority of people today, including roman catholics do not know about the true bloody history of the papal church of rome.
Tobin reveals all the rules and rituals involved in the secretive process of electing the pope, along with the rich history of the conclave and the key concerns that will shape the future of the catholic church. Conclave is a triumphant addition to harriss acclaimed output. Entering the conclave of 20, cardinal bergoglio appeared on few lists of likely. Oconnells story, which is excerpted from his upcoming book on the. The following excerpts are drawn from the election of pope francis. Cardinals are bishops who are directly appointed by the pope at various points during his pontificate. The third edition includes an extended final chapter covering the last years of pope john paul ii and the election. The current pope does not designate a successor nor is the pope elected by popular vote of all catholics, although both of these methods have been used at various times in the past. The sinful and the saintly, the conniving and the compassionate, the greedy and the good, make up this entirely fascinating survey of the history of papal elections. Books on the papacy papal election research guide guides at. The pope is considered by catholics to be the apostolic successor of saint peter and earthly head of the catholic church.
All but five papal conclaves since 1455 have been held in the apostolic palace. In 1059, pope nicholas ii further regulated the process of electing the pope, making the cardinals the papal electors. An inside account of the conclave that changed history orbis books, 2019 is written by a pious practicing catholic for pious practicing catholics and published by a niche publishing house that caters to pious practicing catholics. Products the election of pope francis orbis books religious. Oconnell begins his account, as one must, with the shocking and heroic decision by pope. An inside account of the conclave that changed history, gerard oconnell, americas vatican correspondent, reports cardinal bergoglio emerged as pope.
The cardinals of the roman catholic church have gathered in rome for the papal election following the death of the incumbent pope. Their primary responsibility is to elect a new pope. Susan boyle i dreamed a dream les miserables official britains got talent 2009. Contrastingly, morris west, the australian novelist who is commonly considered the pope of the vatican thriller, created an elaborate alternative progression. The procedure for electing the pope has evolved over the history of the church. Cardinals are bishops and vatican officials from all over the world, personally chosen by the pope, recognizeable by their distinctive red vestments. The selection of cardinal jorge bergoglio of buenos aires in the papal election of 20 made history in. Forthcoming book by vatican journalist is an inside account of the conclave that changed history. Electing the pope in early modern italy, 14501700 offers a radical reassessment of the history of early modern papacy, constructed through the first major analytical treatment of papal elections in english. Highly secret and conducted behind the locked doors of the sistine chapel, it happens about eight times every century. Gerard oconnell here is a fascinating behindthescenes account of history in the making the election in 20 of cardinal jorge bergoglio, the first latin american pope, the first jesuit pope, and the first pope.
The longest papal election in history, held in the village of viterbo, lasted two years and three months from 1268 to 1271. Some of the dates for the popes and events in papal history are estimates. These popes are in the history books for all the wrong reasons. Electing the pope in early modern italy, 14501700 miles. Prompted by the resignation of pope benedict xvi which took effect february 28th, 20itself a. Noble, director of the medieval institute and professor of history at the university of notre damewho has spent more than 30 years immersed in the subject. The darkness of the papal history the papacy is the longestlasting elected office in the world, and the vast majority of popes have been good and honest christians. Upon the death of clement iv, the cardinals gathered in the episcopal palace to choose his successor.
List of books and articles about papal history online. The papal conclave, 17991800 was held in san giorgio monastery in venice, the last papal election site outside of rome. This task falls to the college of cardinals, which are one of the highest ranking positions within the catholic church. The selection of cardinal jorge bergoglio of buenos aires in the papal election of 20 made history in several ways. The institution has endured through the defining moments of european history, including the split of the roman empire, the bloodbath of the crusades and the rise of the italian renaissance. It is an event that has evolved over the centuries and is always filled with high drama. In the early centuries, the clergy and people of rome elected the successor, who usually had worked very closely with the previous pope. The teacher should insist on the use of such helps as are found in the book. A sometimes secret and occasionally bloody history of papal elections michael walsh in 1271, with the papal throne vacant for over two years, local officials locked the cardinals of the catholic church in a room, forcing them to select a new pope. The election of pope francis which will be released on may 3 is a detailed sort of diary, in which oconnell describes the atmosphere of that 30day period 11 february march 20. Papal elections, with their ceremonial pomp and high drama, are compelling theater, but, until now, no one has analyzed them on the basis.
Pope elect stephen was listed under the name stephen ii until the 1961 edition, when his name was removed. The most important order of business, however, was the first canon. All products, books, papal writingschurch documents. In a book for scholars and layperson alike, michael walsh offers solid research, brilliant prose, and, best of all, a terrific story. The decisions of the council of pisa 1409 were reversed in 1963 in a reinterpretation of the western schism, extending pope gregory xii s papacy to 1415 and classifying rival claimants alexander v and john xxiii as antipopes. Papal opposition to the reunification of italy deepened the suspicious dislike of most liberals for the papacy. The election of pope francis is a daybyday, ballotby. And their territorial base, the papal states, is italian. The method of electing the pope has varied considerably at different periods of the history of the church. The true history of the roman catholic church has been hidden away from the eyes of the masses, through the rewriting of the history books, so that they cannot see the truth about the antichrist church, otherwise known as babylon, the mother of harlots. Sep 16, 2016 despite papal fiction being such a crowded church, harris, in conclave, contrives a twist involving the number of cardinalelectors that seems to me completely new, showing that the genre still. In the th century, popes preferred to live in viterbo to escape the pressures of rome.
He emphasises that, when electing a pope, cardinals had to consider the diverse and sometimes conflicting interests of the college of cardinals, their families, the catholic faith and secular powers chapter two. Papal historian explains by university of reading dr rebecca rist, senior lecturer in history, is a specialist in the history of the papacy. Leaked vatican report from pope franciss election offers rare. An inside account of the conclave that changed history orbis books, 2019, by gerard oconnell, americas vatican correspondent. Hello, i was presented with a question in regards to the cardinals electing the pope. The election of pope francis religious books, history. The name derives from a greek word pappas, meaning father, and romes bishop is seen as the father figure of the early church because of the link with st peter. A papal conclave is a gathering of the college of cardinals convened to elect a bishop of. A history of the papal elections 2003 by baumgartner, frederic j. There is some historical context such as how popes were elected in the past and how, over.
He is pope by reason of being bishop of rome and thus, according to roman catholic belief, successor in the see of rome the holy see to its first bishop, st. A papal conclave is a gathering of the college of cardinals convened to elect a bishop of rome, also known as the pope. Contents introduction early christians and the roman empire the middle ages renaissance and reformation the modern era pope francis, who succeeded benedict xvi after his surprise resignation in march 20 is the 266th person to occupy the office said to have first been held by st. Peter, a humble fisherman who became a disciple of christ and, eventually, the man jesus described. Conclave, though, is more than a crime novel, it is also a psychological and political thriller. Corrupt cardinals voting in a pope in the history books. Stato pontificio, officially the state of the church italian.
The subsequent triumph of pope symmachus 498514 over antipope laurentius is the first recorded example of simony in papal history. Catholics accept on divine and catholic faith that the holy father is the successor of peter. Since the position of pope involves many rituals which are poorly understood the papacy has attracted many strange stories. We join oconnells tale on march, after the resignation of pope benedict xvi on feb. Pope john paul ii 1978 pope john paul ii is the most traveled pope in history, and has greaty expanded the global reach of catholicism. He is an outspoken advocate of human rights, but his critics argue that his policies overlook the rights of women and homosexuals. Pope kiril i in the shoes of the fisherman is succeeded by gregory xvii in the clowns of god, who gives way to leo xiv in lazarus.
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