On Monday all the cardinals from around the world have gathered inside the Vatican for their first round of meetings to decide on the next pope.
The Vatican is waiting for all cardinals to arrive before setting a date. At the moment arrived 103 out of 115 electors.
Among the first orders of business was the oath of secrecy each cardinal made, pledging to maintain “rigorous secrecy with regard to all matters in any way related to the election of the Roman Pontiff”.
The college of cardinals also agreed to send Benedict XVI a message on behalf of the group – the text of which is still being worked on.
The core agenda item is to set the date for the private meeting and set in place procedures to prepare for it, including closing the Sistine Chapel to visitors and getting the Vatican hotel cleared out and de-bugged, to avoid anyone trying to listen in on the secret conversations of the cardinals.
The first day of discussion was taken up by scandal, with Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien admitting that he had engaged in sexual misconduct not befitting a priest, archbishop or cardinal. O’Brien last week resigned as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh and said he would not participate in the conclave after four men came forward with allegations that he had acted inappropriately with them.
Due to this scandal, the archbishop will not be attending the private meeting.
The Vatican has been subject to few scandals recently over leaked papal documents, and the investigation by three cardinals into who was behind it.
Another topic facing the cardinals is the reason they are meeting in the first place.
Benedict’s resignation goes against the accepted concept of the papacy, and cardinals haven’t shied from weighing in about the implications for the next pope.
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