First Impressions of Pope Francis

We have a pope! Should you be concerned?

A reader writes:

Hi Jimmy, I hope you don’t mind me writing to ask you a question.

I have been eagerly awaiting your take on Pope Francis. I trust your opinion like no other.

I am wondering why you have not posted your opinion. I do not mean to put you on the spot, but I’m worried and am wondering if you are too.

First, let me say that I don’t mind the reader writing at all. I only wish I had the opportunity to respond to all the emails I receive. I’m afraid that I’m not able to, but that should never stop anyone from writing, though. 

The reader is also too kind in his interest in my opinion. There are many qualified Catholic commentators who have opinions as good–or better–than mine.

 

No Blogging Yet?

Regarding my not (yet) blogging in this case, I have to plead the fact that this has been a very busy few days for me.

I’ve been giving interviews about Pope Francis right and left, as well as preparing materials about him that will be published soon by different Catholic outlets.

It’s been a hectic time(!), and I haven’t been able to blog in any depth on the subject.

 

First Thoughts

I’ve been blogging on his election in the small ways I’ve been able to, and I’ll undoubtedly blog more soon, but for the moment, allow me to offer a few thoughts:

 

1) I’m jazzed to have a new pope!

 

2) Like everybody else in the English-speaking world, I don’t know Pope Francis as well as I knew Pope Benedict when he assumed office.

When Pope Benedict was elected, I already knew him really well. I’d followed him and read his writings (which had been translated into English) for years. He was a known quantity, and I was super-jazzed about his election.

Pope Francis isn’t as well known (by me).

I already knew about him, but–given his age–I didn’t expect him to be elected pope (he’s only two years younger than Pope Benedict was when elected, and after Pope Benedict’s resignation for age-related reasons, I expected the cardinals to go with a younger man).

As a result, I haven’t focused on him as much–plus there is the fact that his writings as a cardinal are in Spanish and haven’t yet been translated into English.

Currently, I’m working on a book that he wrote with a rabbi (a kind of dialogue book, where they give their views on different topics), but my Spanish isn’t great, and it’s slow going.

I’m also reading his speeches as pope as soon as English translations are available.

As a result, like many people, I’m still getting to know Pope Francis.

 

3) I trust the wisdom of the college of cardinals.

These are a group of men guided by God–and appointed by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

That’s gotta count for a lot.

If they think this man is the best person to entrust with the ministry of St. Peter, who am I (or any of us?) to question that?

My default position is thus, even if I don’t know as much about Pope Francis as I would wish, I should proceed with an open, trusting attitude toward the decision of the pastors of the Church, as rendered below the fresco of Michaelangelo’s Last Judgment.

We should trust them.

 

4) From what I knew about Cardinal Bergoglio before his election, I had no reason to doubt that he would make a worthy successor of St. Peter.

I had a positive impression of him then, and I still do now.

 

5) From what I’ve been (rapidly!) learning about him since his election, my belief that he can be a good pope has only strengthened.

I am more reassured now than I was when he was first announced, and I have every confidence that this will grow even stronger, given what I am learning. Thus . . .

 

6) I’m expecting good stuff ahead!

 

I’m sure that there will be surprises during Pope Francis’s tenure. There always are when a new pope is elected.

But God guides his Church, we have Jesus’ word on that, and we may look to the future with confidence.

More soon!

Your pal,

Jimmy Akin

When to Watch for the White Smoke

Soon the cardinals will send up black smoke or white smoke to indicate that we have a new pope. When should you be watching?

Many people across the world are wondering when we should be watching the chimney above the Sistine Chapel to see the smoke that will tell us whether a new pope has been elected.

Here is a quick guide to when to watch and what to expect . . .

 

The Color of the Smoke

After casting ballots, the cardinals burn them, and this is what produces the smoke. They also burn other things–straw or chemicals–to change the color of the smoke, though precisely what they’re burning this time is a bit of a mystery.

As most people know, it is supposed to be black if there is no new pope but it is supposed to be white if there is.

In practice, there have been troubles with the color of the smoke being unclear in the past.

Sometimes it starts off one color and then seems to change color. This can happen when the things the cardinals are burning don’t ignite at the same time.

Other times, the smoke seems too grey to say that it’s white or black.

To help clear up matters, they’re suppose to also start ringing the bells at St. Peter’s when a new pope is elected, but there has been confusion in the past with the bells, since they are ordinarily rung at several times of day.

Hopefully, there won’t be such confusion this time, but here’s when to watch . . .

 

Regularly Scheduled Times

On Tuesday the cardinals are scheduled to have only one round of voting, which is expected to end around 7:00 p.m., Rome time.

It might be somewhat earlier or later when the smoke appears, and it will almost certainly be black, since the first ballot almost never results in a papal election.

For the next few days, the cardinals are scheduled to have four votes–two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

They will burn the ballots after each pair of ballots.

This means that the cardinals will be burning the ballots after each odd numbered ballot (that is, after ballot #1 on day 1, after ballots #3 and #5 on day 2, and ballots #7 and #9 on day 3).

The first time they burn them should be around 12:00 p.m. (i.e., noon), Rome time.

The second time will be around 7:00 p.m., Rome time.

As before, the exact time may be slightly earlier or later.

The longer the conclave goes on, the higher the likelihood that the smoke will be white.

 

Unscheduled Times

If the cardinals elect a cardinal after an even numbered ballot (e.g., ballot #2 or #4 on day 2 or ballot #6 or #8 on day 3) then they will burn the ballots immediately.

As a result, the smoke at such an unscheduled burning will be white–announcing the election that has just happened.

Each round of balloting takes about an hour, so if they elect a pope on an even numbered ballot, the smoke would appear around an hour earlier than expected–e.g., around 11:00 a.m. or 6 p.m., Rome time.

As before, the exact time might be earlier or later.

 

The Rome Schedule

Here is a list of when to watch for the smoke if you are in Rome (all times local):

  • Morning even numbered ballot: 11:00 a.m. (uncheduled; indicates papal election)
  • Morning odd numbered ballot: 12:00 a.m. (scheduled; may be black or white smoke)
  • Evening even numbered ballot: 6:00 p.m. (uncheduled; indicates papal election)
  • Evening odd numbered ballot: 7:00 p.m. (scheduled; may be black or white smoke)

 

Your Time Zone

Rome has not yet gone on the Italian equivalent of Daylight Savings Time, so they are presently 5 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time and 8 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Time.

Here is a list of the approximate times to watch for the smoke to appear in the different U.S. time zones (times in parentheses indicate unscheduled burnings):

  • Eastern Time: (6:00 a.m.) — 7:00 a.m. — (1:00 p.m.) — 2:00 p.m.
  • Central Time: (5:00 a.m.) — 6:00 a.m. — (12:00 p.m.) — 1:00 p.m.
  • Mountain Time: (4:00 a.m.) — 5:00 a.m. — (11:00 a.m.) — 12:00 p.m.
  • Pacific Time: (3:00 a.m.) — 4:00 a.m. — (10:00 a.m.) — 11:00 a.m.

 

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources that may help you while we wait:

I’d also like to mention a few of my own resources:

 

The New Pope’s Name

By the way, last year I published a study of what the next pope’s name would likely be.

I’d investigated the history of pope names and found patterns in history that the popes themselves probably aren’t fully aware of.

There’s some fascinating stuff to be discovered!

I even listed the names that the next pope would most likely choose (will he be a Benedict? a John Paul? a Pius? a John? or something else entirely?)–as well as the names that the new pope would definitely not choose.

I put it together into a report that you can read on your Kindle, Nook, or Apple device (iPhone, iPad, iPod).

To learn more, click here to go to www.PopeNamesBook.com.

 

What Now?

If you like the information I’ve presented here, you should join my Secret Information Club.

If you’re not familiar with it, the Secret Information Club is a free service that I operate by email.

I send out information on a variety of fascinating topics connected with the Catholic faith.

In fact, the very first thing you’ll get if you sign up is information about what Pope Benedict says about the book of Revelation.

He has a lot of interesting things to say!

If you’d like to find out what they are, just sign up at www.SecretInfoClub.com or use this handy sign-up form:

Just email me at jimmy@secretinfoclub.com if you have any difficulty.

In the meantime, what do you think?

What name will the new pope choose?

What name will the next pope choose? Get your copy of Jimmy Akin's definitive study!

Will he be a Benedict? A John Paul? A Pius? A Leo? Something else entirely?

I wanted to let you know about a special study I did last year on what name the next pope would choose.

Normally, I use these Secret Info Club emails to send you fascinating information of a timeless nature, but with the cardinals holding a conclave, this study is particularly timely, and I thought you’d like to know about it.

Several years ago, when John Paul II died, I began looking at the history of the names popes have chosen, and I was startled to see the patterns that exist.

The popes themselves probably haven’t been fully aware of these patterns.

What I learned was that the name of the next pope is quite a bit more predictable than you would imagine. It’s even possible to assign probabilities.

Last year, on a lark, I put the study out as an ebook, though I never advertised it.

It’s available for Kindle, Nook, and on the Apple iBookstore for just $2.99.

Click here to learn more about it.

It’s called Pope Names: The Definitive Guide to Papal Names, Why Popes Choose the Names They Do, and Which Name the Next Pope Will Choose.

It covers a lot of fascinating things, including:

  • What names will be on the “short list” that the next pope considers, and what are the odds he will pick a particular name?
  • What is the one name that the next pope will definitely not pick, no matter what?
  • Why do popes sometimes feel the need to “shake up” the pool of pope names?
  • What are the signs that we are living in a “shake up” period right now?
  • What pope was named after a pagan god?
  • What man actually served as pope three times?
  • Why is there no Pope Stephen II?

And a lot more! I tried to pack as much value into the little ebook as I could!

I hope you’ll check it out and that you’ll find the history of pope names as fascinating as I did when I began looking into it.

You can read more at www.PopeNamesBook.com or get a copy through one of these links:

I also hope you’ll join me in keeping the cardinals in prayer as they select our new pope.

9 things you need to know about how cardinals actually vote in conclaves

The cardinals will be entering the conclave to vote for the new pope. How do they actually decide who to vote for? Here are 9 things you should know.

Soon the cardinals will enter the conclave and begin casting their votes for the new pope.

What’s going through their minds as they do this? How do they actually go through the process of deciding, on any particular ballot, who to vote for?

Why is the first ballot so important? What patterns does history teach us? And is there any way we can help them?

Here are 9 things you need to know.

 

1. Why is the first ballot significant?

It is the first time that the cardinals get the “lay of the land” in a concrete way.

Up to this point, they have had discussions among themselves about who would be a good pope, and they have done some informal nose counting to get a sense of how much support there may be for different candidates.

Now, however, they get actual vote counts and can attach numbers to how much support different candidates have.

The cardinals will then factor this in to how they vote on the next ballot. Some candidates will gain support; others will lose it.

 

2. How has the role of the first ballot changed over time?

In the past, the cardinals sometimes used the first ballot to honor cardinals who they knew did not have a chance of winning.

For example, they might vote for cardinals who had served the Church long and well but who were now too old to be elected. Or, in the days when an Italian pope was guaranteed, they might vote for distinguished cardinals who weren’t from Italy.

This practice caused conclaves to be longer, since it cluttered up the voting process with symbolic votes that weren’t meant to lead to the election of an actual pope.

A well-respected but unelectable cardinal would get a certain number of tribute votes on the first ballot and then these would melt away on the second.

Today there is a desire for shorter conclaves, so that the cardinals do not appear to be divided in a way that would hamstring the new pope.

Thus the practice of giving tribute votes has faded, and now cardinals take this oath when they cast their ballots:

I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.

Despite this, the first ballot will almost certainly not result in a new pope.

 

3. Why will the first ballot almost certainly not result in a new pope?

KEEP READING.

The Weekly Benedict (Wrap-up Edition): 10 March, 2013

This version of The Weekly Benedict covers material released in the last week from 22 February 2013 – 28 February 2013 (subscribe here; get as an eBook version for your Kindle, iPod, iPad, Nook, or other eBook reader):

Angelus

General Audience

Letter

Motu Proprio

Speeches

Papal Tweets

Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives.

pontifex, 28 February 2013

* All of Pope Benedict XVI tweets were deleted at at the start of Sede Vacante

St. Malachy and the Name the New Pope Will Choose

What name will the next pope choose? And will he be the last one?

Recently I was on Al Kresta’s show to talk about the St. Malachy prophecy (which seems to indicate that the next pope will be the last).

We also talked about the name the next pope will choose–and which names he won’t choose.

It was a really good conversation, so I thought I’d make it available for you to listen to here.

Use the player or link below to listen.

Enjoy!

BTW, here’s what I wrote about St. Malachy.

And here’s where you can learn about the new pope’s name: www.PopeNamesBook.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Conclave App

Just wanted to let folks know about a neat little app that Logos Bible Software has just released to help Catholics (and others) learn about the upcoming conclave.

The app is FREE and is available both for iOS (iPhone/Pod/Pad) and Android.

They really rushed to get it out so that we’d have it in time for the conclave, and I know people at Logos who spent long nights getting it ready.

It’s got some really cool features and material (including some by yours truly).

Here’s a description of the app:

Your free mobile hub for conclave news

Conclave is a free app that keeps you up to date on the papal election.

  • Be among the first to see the white smoke rise—watch the live video feed from St. Peter’s Square.
  • Learn about the cardinals in the conclave—115 electors, and 1 future pope.
  • Read the official documents instating, defining, and amending the conclave’s process.
  • Follow key Catholic sources and authorities like The National Catholic Register and Jimmy Akin.
  • See what Twitter has to say about the conclave

CLICK HERE TO GET FREE CONCLAVE APP.

Enjoy!

12 things you need to know about the Prodigal Son

There is more to the story of the prodigal son than meets the eye. Here are 12 things you should know about it.

On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the gospel reading is the famous parable of the “prodigal son.”

It is a moving story that teaches us about God’s love for us and his willingness to forgive us no matter what we have done.

But there is more to the story than meets the eye . . . much more.

Here are 12 things you need to know.

 

1. What does “prodigal” mean?

The word “prodigal” is mysterious to us. Almost the only time we ever hear it is in the title of this parable.

It’s basic meaning is “wasteful”–particularly with regard to money.

It comes from Latin roots that mean “forth” (pro-) and “to drive” (agere). It indicates the quality of a person who drives forth his money–who wastes it by spending with reckless abandon.

That’s what the prodigal son does in this story.

 

2. Why does Jesus tell this parable?

This question is answered at the beginning of Luke 15, where we read:

[1] Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him [Jesus].
[2] And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
[3] So he told them this parable . . .

Actually, Jesus tells three parables:

  • The parable of the lost sheep
  • The parable of the lost coin
  • The parable of the lost son (or, as we know it, the parable of the prodigal son) 

All three parables are on the subject of recovering the lost, which is the implicit explanation of why Jesus receives sinners and eats with them: They are lost, and he wants to recover them.

Interestingly, the parable of the prodigal son (and the parable of the lost coin) occur only in Luke.

 

3. What’s happening in the parable?

Jesus’ parables are based on real-life situations, though they often veer off from the expected course of events in surprising ways. Those surprises teach us lessons.

Here, Jesus relates the situation of a father who has two sons, one of whom can’t wait for his inheritance.

In Jewish society, there were laws regarding how inheritances were typically divided. The oldest brother got a double share (cf. Deut. 21:17), while the other brothers got a single share.

When there were two brothers (as here), the older brother would get 2/3rds of the estate, and the younger brother would get 1/3rd.

 

4. What is the prodigal son asking for?

KEEP READING.

Who Was the Early Visionary St. Perpetua?

St.s Perpetua and Felicity are commemorated in Eucharistic Prayer I (the Roman Canon) itself. But who were they, and what is their dramatic story?

Thursday is the feast of St.s Perpetua and Felicity.

Many have heard their names. They’re early saints mentioned in Eucharistic Prayer #1 (the Roman Canon).

But often we don’t know much more than that, which is a pity.

They have a dramatic story, which St. Perpetua recorded herself in the days before her martyrdom. It also records the visions she received during this time.

Here are 10 things you need to know.

 

1. Who was St. Perpetua?

She was a young Christian woman and martyr, who died just after the year 200 in North Africa. When she was still a catechumen, she and several acquaintances were taken into custody.

According to the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity:

And among them also was Vivia Perpetua, respectably born, liberally educated, a married matron, having a father and mother and two brothers, one of whom, like herself, was a catechumen, and a son an infant at the breast. She herself was about twenty-two years of age.

No mention is made of her husband, who may have already been dead.

After being baptized, Perpetua received several visions and was eventually martyred. We also learn about her companions and other members of her family, including her father and her younger brother, who had died previously of cancer.

 

2. What is the “Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity”?

It is a document describing what happened to Perpetua and her companions. It is also called “The Passion of the Holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicity.”

The document is composed of a preface followed by six chapters.

What is particularly special is that about half of the document was written by the martyr herself:

  • Chapters 1-3 were penned by St. Perpetua while she was awaiting execution. 
  • Chapter 4 was written by one of her companions and fellow-martyrs, Saturus.
  • Chapter 5-6 (and the preface) were written by the anonymous editor, who was apparently an eyewitness of the martyrdoms.

3. What does Perpetua’s writing reveal about her father?

KEEP READING.

How Long Will We Have to Wait for Our New Pope?

The cardinals will soon be in conclave to elect a new pope. How long will they be in there?

As we look forward to the coming conclave, it’s natural to ask, “How long will it last?”

Nobody knows at this point, but it’s possible to get a sense by looking at history.

Here are some surprising things you may not have known.

 

Birth of the Conclave

In the history of the papacy there have been periods in which the chair of St. Peter was vacant for startlingly long periods of time, at least by modern standards.

The longest of these occurred after the death of Pope Clement IV in 1268.

After he died on November 29th of that year, there was no new pope until September 1 of 1271, when Gregory X became pope.

That’s a gap of almost three years (and just over 1,000 days).

This happened because the cardinals were deadlocked and could not agree on a new pope.

To pressure them into coming to a conclusion, the magistrates of Viterbo (where they were meeting) locked them up, reduced their rations to bread and water, and tore the roof off the palazzo where they were housed, to expose them to the elements.

Even so, it took a year after that!

When it was all over, Gregory X introduced a new law, based on what had happened, which essentially called for the modern conclave system, where the cardinals are sequestered until they get the job done.

It took a while for the conclave to stick, but this is where it started.

 

The Last 500 Years

Here’s a chart of how many days all of the papal elections have taken since October 1503–more than 500 years!

As you can see, the length is all over the place before we get to a certain point.

The very first entry (at the far left) is the election of Julius II in October 1503, which was the shortest papal election on record, taking only a few hours.

Then it spikes up and down, reaching the highest peak in 1740, with the election of Benedict XIV, which took a whopping 183 days!

And then, after the election of Gregory XVI in 1831, something changes.

The length of conclaves becomes much shorter and consistently falls within a narrow range.

The cardinals now have their act together.

Let’s take a closer look at that . . .

KEEP READING.