THE CONCHO PADRE POST

Rome, March 04, 2013 (Zenit.org)

The Catholic Truth Society is offering a free resource for those hoping to better understand how a conclave works.

“Conclave: Step by Step Through the Papal Interregnum” is available for download at their Web site.

The 36-page booklet is written by Monsignor Charles Burns, the Ecclesiastical Adviser at the British Embassy to the Holy See.

The book explains what happens before, during and after a papal election.

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On the Net:

“Conclave”: http://www.ctsbooks.org/pope/

From zenit.org

Gospel MT 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

Vatican City, 4 March 2013 (VIS) – A student of the history of the Roman Curia, in particular the office called the Apostolic Camera, will find that, as early as the 11th century, the term “camera thesauraria” (treasure chamber) appeared, describing an office set up to administer the finances of the Roman Curia and the temporal goods of the Holy See. Today it performs the latter task only in the period of “sede vacante” or vacant see.

In the 12th century, the head of that office was known as the “camerarius,” or camerlengo (chamberlain) – a title which carries over to today. That same century saw the former offices of viceroy, treasurer and wardrobe guardian incorporated into this single department. In the 13th and 14th centuries it acquired judicial functions in fiscal matters as well as certain penal and civil cases.

The camerlengo of Holy Roman Church (to be distinguished from the camerlengo of the College of Cardinals) was often a cardinal, but this became mandatory only in the 15th century. Then – as now – he was assisted by a vice-camerlengo, a general auditor and chamber clerks, called Cleric Prelates. Today there is also a notary.

In the early centuries the camerlengo, individual clerks, and chamber auditor had acquired specific competencies and presided over special tribunals, though the “camera plena” or full chamber functioned as a collegial court. Throughout the 19th century the Camera was above all a tribunal for the pontifical state. With his Apostolic Constitution “Sapienti Consilio” of 29 June 1908, Pope St. Pius X confirmed the Apostolic Camera in its functions of temporal power which it had exercised in the past.

Paul VI’s Apostolic Constitution “Regimini Ecclesiae Universae” of 15 August 1967 preserved the Apostolic Camera, presided over by the Camerlengo of Holy Roman Church or, if he is impeded, by the vice-camerlengo. It thus maintains the function of caring for and administering the temporal goods and rights of the Holy See during the period of Sede Vacante, that is, between the end of the reign of one Pope and the election of his successor.

A reconfirmation of these special duties was given in John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution “Pastor Bonus” of 28 June 1988.

As confirmed by Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Constitution “Universi Dominici Gregis” of February 1996, the camerlengo of Holy Roman Church and the penitentiary major are the only two heads of curial offices whose functions do not cease during the Sede Vacante. In fact, those of the camerlengo actually increase during this period.

The current camerlengo of Holy Roman Church is Cardinal Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone, S.D.B. The cardinal was born on 2 December 1934 in Romano Canavese, Piedmont, Italy and was ordained in 1960. He holds a doctorate in canon law and was the rector of the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome in 1989. He received episcopal ordination as archbishop of Vercelli, Italy in 1991. In 1995 Blessed John Paul II appointed him secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose prefect at the time was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. In 2002 he was named metropolitan archbishop of Genoa, Italy and on 21 October 2003 he was created a cardinal. On 22 June 2006, Benedict XVI appointed him as secretary of State and on 4 April 2007, as camerlengo.

On 1 March 2013, the complete Apostolic Camera met for the beginning of the period of the Sede Vacante resulting from His Holiness Benedict XVI’s renunciation of the Petrine ministry in effect from 8:00pm the previous day, 28 February. The Apostolic Camera currently consists of: Camerlengo Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B.; Vice-camerlengo Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata; Auditor General Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca; and the College of Clerics: Msgr. Assunto Scotti; Msgr. Paolo Luca Braida; Msgr. Philip James Whitmore; Msgr. Winfried Konig; Msgr. Osvaldo Neves de Almeida; Msgr. Krzysztof Jozef Nykiel; Msgr. Lucio Bonora, and; Msgr. Antonio Lazzaro.

Vatican Information Service

The first General Congregation of the College of Cardinals began at 9:30am this morning in the new Synod Hall.

Leading the meeting, at the head table, were Cardinal Dean Angelo Sodano, accompanied by Cardinal Camerlengo Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., and the Secretary of the College, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri.

The members of the College took their seats in the room following the hierarchical order of precedence (Order of Cardinal-bishops, Order of Cardinal-priests, and Order of Cardinal-deacons).

After the opening prayers (Veni Sancte Spiritus; Adsumus) and the technical instructions regarding the count of those present and the voting process, the Cardinal Dean took the floor to greet those gathered, noting the great importance of this event before the Church and the world.

The oath was then sworn in the manner prescribed in No. 12 of the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis. The common formula of the oath was read aloud by the Dean in Latin. Then, each of the cardinals, according to the order of precedence, advanced to personally swear the oath before the Crucifix and with their hand upon the Gospels. The oath-taking process took up a good portion of the meeting’s time.

The 142 cardinals present, of which 103 were Cardinal electors, took the oath.

The Particular Congregation was then established with the drawing by lots of the three assistants to the Cardinal Camerlengo (cf. No. 7, Universi Dominici Gregis). The three cardinals picked were: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (Order of Bishops); Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe (Order of Priests), and; Cardinal Franc Rodé (Order of Deacons). After their election these three also took their places next to the Camerlengo at the head table.

It is expected that Fr. Cantalamessa, the preacher of the Pontifical Household, will hold the first of the meditations provided for by the Apostolic Constitution this afternoon.

The Cardinal Dean’s proposal to send a message of greeting and gratitude to His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope emeritus, was approved.

During the course of the Congregation there was a break of about half an hour between 11:15am and 11:45am.

In the last part of the Congregation, 13 Cardinals addressed the gathering freely, mainly regarding questions on the process of the proceedings and the questions to be faced, also bearing in mind the results of the latest Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.

The Second General Congregations is called for this afternoon from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

Vatican Press Office

The first meeting of the General Congregation of Cardinals is meeting this morning at the Vatican, with another meeting scheduled for this afternoon. Hopefully, there will be some type of announcement from the Vatican Press Office.

One thing is clear. Not all of the cardinal-electors are yet in Rome, notably absent several Cardinals from Germany. This means that they cannot set a Conclave date earlier than 15 days unless all electors are present and assenting.

Stay tuned folks. This could get interesting.

The Concho Padre