VATICAN – Among the massive crowds of people waiting for the first round of smoke to emanate from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, several Filipino Catholic pilgrims were hoping for the Church to be led by a pope who is one of their own: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
Fr. Rey Matunog of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said he believes that Cardinal Tagle possesses all the qualities needed to become the next pope.
He led a group of 46 Filipino Americans from Southern California in an annual pilgrimage to Rome and Switzerland. Matunog shared that their group made a special trip to the Vatican to show their support for Cardinal Tagle.
READ: Prayers and pride in Imus, hometown of papal contender Cardinal Tagle
“We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. I hope the cardinals will be touched by the Spirit when choosing the next pope. Our faith is important now more than ever,” Fr. Matunog told Inquirer.net.
“We pray that one of our Filipino cardinals, especially Cardinal Tagle, will be chosen as the new pope because it would be a blessing not only for the Church but also for Filipinos worldwide.”
The doors of the Sistine Chapel have closed after the cry of “extra omnes” — Latin for “all out” — and 133 red-robed cardinals – including Cardinals Tagle, Jose Advincula, and Pablo Virgilio David – began the secretive, centuries-old ritual of electing a new pope to lead the Catholic Church.
They entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” as Swiss Guards stood at attention. The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals find a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.
If voting is ongoing and a pope has not yet been elected, black smoke will billow from the chapel’s chimney.
White smoke will signify that one of the 133 cardinals has secured two-thirds of the votes to become the next pope.
It is unlikely that a new pope will be elected on the first day of voting.
There is no fixed schedule for how long the conclave will last. In 2013, Pope Francis was elected in just one day, but historically, some papal elections have taken years. In 1271, Pope Gregory X’s election had taken three years.
The current conclave is expected to unfold over the upcoming days, with the first ballot scheduled for this evening at 7 p.m. Vatican time.
Voting will occur four times each day – twice in the morning and twice in the evening – until a candidate secures enough votes to become the next pope. /nur
Asia News Network/Philippine Daily Inquirer
Fr. Rey Matunog of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said he believes that Cardinal Tagle possesses all the qualities needed to become the next pope.
He led a group of 46 Filipino Americans from Southern California in an annual pilgrimage to Rome and Switzerland. Matunog shared that their group made a special trip to the Vatican to show their support for Cardinal Tagle.
READ: Prayers and pride in Imus, hometown of papal contender Cardinal Tagle
“We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. I hope the cardinals will be touched by the Spirit when choosing the next pope. Our faith is important now more than ever,” Fr. Matunog told Inquirer.net.
“We pray that one of our Filipino cardinals, especially Cardinal Tagle, will be chosen as the new pope because it would be a blessing not only for the Church but also for Filipinos worldwide.”
The doors of the Sistine Chapel have closed after the cry of “extra omnes” — Latin for “all out” — and 133 red-robed cardinals – including Cardinals Tagle, Jose Advincula, and Pablo Virgilio David – began the secretive, centuries-old ritual of electing a new pope to lead the Catholic Church.
They entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” as Swiss Guards stood at attention. The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals find a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.
If voting is ongoing and a pope has not yet been elected, black smoke will billow from the chapel’s chimney.
White smoke will signify that one of the 133 cardinals has secured two-thirds of the votes to become the next pope.
It is unlikely that a new pope will be elected on the first day of voting.
There is no fixed schedule for how long the conclave will last. In 2013, Pope Francis was elected in just one day, but historically, some papal elections have taken years. In 1271, Pope Gregory X’s election had taken three years.
The current conclave is expected to unfold over the upcoming days, with the first ballot scheduled for this evening at 7 p.m. Vatican time.
Voting will occur four times each day – twice in the morning and twice in the evening – until a candidate secures enough votes to become the next pope. /nur
Asia News Network/Philippine Daily Inquirer
