When someone (like my mom) asks me who I think is going to be our next Pope, I give varying versions of the same answer: I have no idea, but I am praying fervently for our Cardinals that their decision be guided (as I know it will) by the Holy Spirit. I’m not going to make any public “predictions”. But I’m not above reading the endless analyses that seem to be coming out over the past week highlighting the Papabili. Today, I... Read more
Perhaps because of the fact that I just spent three days at a Congress on Evangelization, I’m looking at our upcoming papal Conclave through the eyes of those for whom this process may be unknown, or even mysterious. I see this as an opportunity for those of us Catholic “geeks” who are watching the process 24/7 to share a bit of the glory of this time with our non-Catholic friends, or our loved ones who have been separated for the... Read more
From our friends at OneBillionStories.com comes the “Rally for the Pope” initiative. Here’s the blueprint: With the chair of St. Peter vacant, the eyes of world now turn to the Vatican to learn the news of his successor. This moment in Church History has not been seen since 1415. Therefore, this is the moment in our lifetime when the one billion Catholics on earth can rally in support of our next Holy Father’s leadership and fidelity to the Magisterium! Will you... Read more
Scot Landry of the Archdiocese of Boston and The Good Catholic Life gives us a great look at that all-important Sistine Chapel Chimney: This article from Fox News describes the placement of the chimney by firefighters: On Saturday, a handful of firefighters climbed onto the Sistine Chapel’s roof and installed the top of the chimney. Inside Michelangelo’s frescoed masterpiece, construction workers staple-gunned the felt carpeting to the false floor that has been erected over the chapel’s stone floor. Read more... Read more
Catholic News Service has done a beautiful job of keeping us up to date on all things Conclave with a reliable perspective. Today, they ran a helpful blog post that lists a breakdown of the daily time schedule for the Conclave. The post by Cindy Wooten kindly lists the schedule in both Central European Time and Eastern Daylight Time. Since I’m a Californian who will be spending the better part of the next six days traveling to three speaking commitments... Read more
Love that Fr. Barron is at the Vatican and on the job for the Conclave! In this brief video, he shares a bit of “gossip” and an analysis of the possibility of an American Pope. Of course, as a fan of both Cardinal O’Malley and Cardinal Dolan, I was thrilled to her Fr. Barron underscore that what the Church “needs” now is a pontiff like Cardinal Dolan, who brings a full measure of “life affirming, joyful orthodoxy”. Let’s pray together... Read more
If you’re a wired Papabile watcher, you’re going to want to head over and immediately download the free new Conclave App from Verbum and Logos Bible Software. I’ve only tested the iOS version, but it’s available for Android users as well. Here are the main features: Be among the first to see the white smoke rise—watch the live video feed from St. Peter’s Square. Learn about the cardinals in the conclave—115 electors, and 1 future pope. Read the official documents... Read more
Genius! We California bloggers contend with a major time travel challenge when it comes to staying abreast of the big news coming out of the Vatican. That’s why I happily just signed up for a notification from PopeAlarm.com to be both texted and emailed as soon as the big news hits from the Conclave. Yes, you do need to give them either your email address or cell phone number – in my case to be doubly careful I gave them both.... Read more
Most of us can’t make it to Rome to observe the Conclave at the Vatican, but thanks to the work of our super Catholic media teams we have video footage like this charming piece from Catholic News Service which takes us right inside the Sistine Chapel as it is prepared to receive the Cardinals. Be sure to turn up the sound and enjoy a taste of Italy! For a closer look, visit this interactive website for the Sistine Chapel. Read more
This seems to be the question of the day. On my way to the Mid-Atlantic Congress, I happened to run into a fellow attendee who was on the light rail with me from the airport to the hotel. We exchanged pleasantries, but before five minutes were up we were both speculating upon the results of the upcoming Conclave. Our opinions were wildly disparate, with each of us holding for for our preferred “Pope elect”. I am relatively certain this same conversation is... Read more
Lisa Hendey
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