VATICAN CITY — As the pre-conclave Mass gree inside St. Peter’s Basilica, small rain dey fall on cobblestones wey some don dey lay since the 1500s during Pope Sixtus V time, making am super slippery. Crowds don start to gather for the square, dem dey eager to see the smoke wey go rise from the Sistine Chapel when dem begin to vote for the new pope this afternoon.
People dey waka carefully around the colonnades as one cyclist even fall due to the slick pavement. Weather forecast no too bright as storms fit come later, both for the sky and for the church.
As of now, the cardinals don sequestered inside the Vatican dey prepare to choose the next pope. Some don share their expectations on how long the selection fit last. Cardinal Rubén Salazar from Colombia tell NBC News say, “No, I don’t think so,” when dem ask am if e go take long.
However, other cardinals no too sure. Cardinal Virgilio do Carlo da Silva from East Timor say, “We never know whether it’s going to be a short conclave.” E add, “Hopefully everybody don get idea but this na crucial moment everybody dey wait for. Na di most important historical event for the church.”
The Vatican don announce say this year’s conclave go be the largest ever, with over 130 cardinal electors wey go participate, 108 of dem be “novices” wey never do dis kind of selection before. But dem no go know di exact number until di voting start, because some fit no show up due to health or travel wahala. Di number of electors wey go fit vote to elect di new pope go change based on who dey present.
Only five cardinals wey dey present for di 2005 conclave manage vote. Dem be Philippe Barbarin from France, Josip Bozanić from Croatia, Péter Erdő from Hungary, Vinco Pulić from Bosnia, and Peter Turkson from Ghana. Now, NBC News don compile list of cardinals wey dem believe fit become di next pope:
– Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungo, Archbishop of Kinshasa (Congo)
– Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm (Sweden)
– Cardinal Jean-March Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille (France)
– Cardinal Charles Muang Bo, Archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar)
– Cardinal Willem Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht (Netherlands)
– Cardinal Peter Erdő, Archbishop of Budapest (Hungary)
– Cardinal William Goh, Archbishop of Singapore (Singapore)
– Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops (Malta)
– Cardinal Gerard Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec (Canada)
– Cardinal Cristobal Lopez Romero, Archbishop of Rabat (Morocco)
– Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature (France)
– Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State (Italy)
– Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (Italy)
– Cardinal Malcome Ranjith (Patabendige Don), Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka)
– Cardinal Luis Tagle, Pro-Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Philippines)
– Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-Sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy (Korea)
– Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna (Italy)
As today dey unfold, 133 cardinals from all over di world dey gather to elect di Church’s 267th pope. Later this afternoon, dem go cast their votes for di historic Sistine Chapel. Dis na how di event go unfold:
Di day go begin at 10 AM local time with Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, led by Giovanni Battista Re, di 91-year-old Cardinal Dean who also presided over Pope Francis’ funeral. After dat, at di early afternoon, mobile signals for di Vatican territory go dey cut so dat no cardinal go fit contact outside.
At around 4:15 PM, di 133 cardinal electors go assemble for di Pauline Chapel before proceeding to di Sistine Chapel for di oath of secrecy wey go lock dem away from di outside world.
While dem dey isolated, di cardinals go begin di process of voting, with di first election fit happen soon after, although no pope don come from di first vote in centuries. According to Austen Ivereigh, Catholic writer, di first ballot dey very important. Dem go take note of cardinals wey get more than 20 votes.
If di votes no give two-thirds majority, di cardinals go meet for dinner at di Casa Santa Marta guesthouse where dem fit talk and build consensus for di next round of votes. Deir first night meal go consist of light dishes and wine, with kitchen staff sworn to secrecy for di duration of di conclave.
Dem go continue dis way until, hopefully, di smoke wey dey come out of di chimney signal say new pope don dey. Thousands of faithful go dey outside di chapel, eager to see di white smoke wey go indicate di next leader of 1.4 billion Catholics don emerge.
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