Passing on the Keys

Written by Gary Shirley


It’s election year in America. Time to endure that painful process where politicians, pollsters and pundits all vie forrepparttar national spotlight. Truth is stretched beyond recognition. Promises made tend to vaporize. We are reminded daily that chaos will prevail if we do not elect this or that enlightened candidate to saverepparttar 126861 nation.

Given our relative success with this “experiment in liberty,” we Americans may think that elected office is our own invention. Fact is, this young republic is still on training wheels. The Catholic Church has trod this path forrepparttar 126862 better part of two millennia. Perhaps it is worth revisitingrepparttar 126863 oldest electoral process inrepparttar 126864 world, which gives one billion Catholics their Supreme Pontiff. The Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on February 22, 1996, provides clear guidance on howrepparttar 126865 Church is to go about selectingrepparttar 126866 next Vicar of Christ.

The passing of a pope is one of those moments that can virtually define an era. It is amongrepparttar 126867 pivotal events that serve as milestones in a life span, such as JFK’s fateful visit to Dallas, Neil Armstrong’s first steps onrepparttar 126868 moon, orrepparttar 126869 Dow passingrepparttar 126870 10,000 mark. A vacancy inrepparttar 126871 See of Peter prompts an outpouring of love coupled with a whirlwind of speculation. It closesrepparttar 126872 door of history and opensrepparttar 126873 window of opportunity. First, however, we grieve.

The Apostolic Constitution prescribes a nine day mourning period in honor ofrepparttar 126874 deceased pope, with burial to occur betweenrepparttar 126875 fourth and sixth days. This duration has both a devotional aspect and a practical one. Proper mourning protocols must be observed for this citizen ofrepparttar 126876 world. Asrepparttar 126877 pope is a Head of State,repparttar 126878 Vatican will serve as host to both secular and religious leaders who attendrepparttar 126879 funeral rites and payrepparttar 126880 respects of their particular society. With few exceptions,repparttar 126881 business ofrepparttar 126882 Church is essentially stopped during this time of reflection and prayer. Even any Councils or Synods in progress are immediately suspended until approved to continue byrepparttar 126883 new pope.

This period of time is largely overseen by an individual known asrepparttar 126884 Cardinal “Camerlengo” or Chamberlain. His job, as described inrepparttar 126885 Apostolic Constitution, is “...safeguarding and administeringrepparttar 126886 goods and temporal rights ofrepparttar 126887 Holy See.” He meets withrepparttar 126888 College of Cardinals to decide issues that include funeral and internment details, approval of expenditures, destruction ofrepparttar 126889 Fisherman’s Ring, lodging assignments forrepparttar 126890 arriving electors and selection ofrepparttar 126891 theologians who will preparerepparttar 126892 two key meditations. These meditations are mandated byrepparttar 126893 Constitution and will ultimately be delivered torepparttar 126894 gathered College of Cardinals. The meditations focus onrepparttar 126895 problems facingrepparttar 126896 Church andrepparttar 126897 need for discernment inrepparttar 126898 coming election. Given thatrepparttar 126899 Cardinal electors hail from every corner ofrepparttar 126900 globe, these meditations will help them to understandrepparttar 126901 “State ofrepparttar 126902 Church.”

The College of Cardinals is restricted byrepparttar 126903 Constitution to a total of 120 eligible voters. As long as a Cardinal has not yet reached his 80th birthday onrepparttar 126904 day ofrepparttar 126905 pope’s death, he may cast a vote inrepparttar 126906 election. Thanks torepparttar 126907 vision of Pope John Paul II,repparttar 126908 College enjoys a multi-national composition, which is sure to translate into a rich harvest of qualified papabile, or papal candidates. Not all Cardinals are bishops, so it is possible thatrepparttar 126909 electors could choose a man forrepparttar 126910 papacy who does not possessrepparttar 126911 highest degree of Holy Orders. Asrepparttar 126912 pope is first and foremostrepparttar 126913 Bishop of Rome,repparttar 126914 Apostolic Constitution calls forrepparttar 126915 immediate episcopal consecration ofrepparttar 126916 new Pontiff, if necessary.

The electoral process must begin no sooner than 15 and no later than 20 days afterrepparttar 126917 death ofrepparttar 126918 pope. The election takes place inrepparttar 126919 Sistine Chapel. Duringrepparttar 126920 proceedingsrepparttar 126921 Cardinals will be required to lodge inrepparttar 126922 Vatican City State, primarily inrepparttar 126923 newly-constructed Domus Sanctae Marthae residence. This is to ensure a degree of isolation from outside influences as they undertake their sacred duty. The electors are restricted from using any method of personal communication or being exposed torepparttar 126924 newspaper, radio, television or Internet. They may not even be approached for conversation as they proceed each day from their lodging torepparttar 126925 Sistine Chapel.

The Sky is Falling

Written by Joyce C. Lock


Do you supposerepparttar expression 'it's raining cats and dogs' originated withrepparttar 126860 flood?

For 120 years, Noah preached, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" They laughed at Noah. Who had ever heard of rain?

It is not all that different, today. "The end is coming! The end is coming!" But who, in this generation, has ever seen God's wrath? Besides, that is forrepparttar 126861 lost … right? That is not what God said (Ep. 5:6).

The Bible was not written forrepparttar 126862 lost (1 Co. 2:14). God told us whom He meant (II Ch. 7:14).

In Co. 3:6, God makes another reference torepparttar 126863 children of disobedience. Perhaps, He knew we would not get itrepparttar 126864 first time? Not very many people survivedrepparttar 126865 flood. They did not get it either.

Instead of researching every instance of sin to make sure we are covered, there is an easier solution. The opposite of disobedience is obedience. God counts faith as obedience and righteousness (Ro. 16:26, Ga. 3:6). Two forrepparttar 126866 price of one; now, that is a pretty good deal!

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