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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Motu Proprio

It CAME!!!!!!

Ha, fooled you.

A Motu Proprio did come out today, however, but not the kind that traditionalists have been looking for. It was not one granting universal permission to say the Traditional Mass, nor anything else like that. It was about electing popes. Or at least how to go about doing it.
Pope Benedict has changed the way that popes are elected from what John Paul II instituted, the whole after three days there is a day of prayer and reflection, to the traditional not stopping until a 2/3 majority is reached. Here's the article:

Holy Father changes rules for electing new pope

.- It was announced today that the Holy Father, Benedict XVI has brought back the traditional method for electing a new Pope. Under Pope John Paul II, the procedure was changed to a series of ballots punctuated with time for reflection and prayer if a pontiff was not chosen within the first three days.

The change back to the traditional rules was made public today in a "Motu Proprio," written in Latin. In the letter, Benedict XVI restores the traditional norm concerning the majority required for the valid election of the Supreme Pontiff to two thirds of the cardinals present.

In 1996, John Paul II changed the standard in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici gregis. Under John Paul II’s rules, a new Pope was validly elected by two thirds during the first three days of voting.

However, after three days of voting without an election, there would be a day dedicated to reflection and prayer, without voting. Thereafter, voting would resume for seven additional ballots, another pause for reflection, another seven ballots, another pause and yet another seven ballots. After which an absolute majority was to decide how to proceed, either for a vote by absolute majority or with balloting between two candidates. This was to happen only in the event that the cardinals arrived at the 33rd or 34th ballot without a positive result.

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