CARDINAL ARINZE of EZIOWELLE ONITSHA MIGHT BE THE NEXT POPE

[fagin]

VATICAN CITY (Preparing.org) -- Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria will quite likely become the next Pope. He is the highest-ranking \'black\' in the inner sanctum of the Vatican, and one of its most influential figures. For more details go to:

http://preparing.org/news/arinze.htm

[signopago]

You know i was telling someone today that cardinal Arinze could be the next pope. This is very possible but Fagin, just asking. Is he just the highest ranking black in the vatican or is he one of the highest amongs both blacks and whites?

What ever happens we pray for the soul of the Pope.

[Susia]

If i am not mistakenly, i heard , he is the highest ranked Cardinal in the vatican. I also believe he was ordained in 1985.

That would be great if he becomes the next Pope but i am a little skeptical.

[uapo4]

This is interesting news. Whoever gets elected, may God be with him always. Before I leave, I just want to briefly express my thoughts and feelings on the Pope John Paul II. I am just overwhelmed:

Pope John Paul II, good-bye at last. I hope you can see this message of mine. Thank you for your service and thank you Jesus for giving us this man. After learning more about the life of the Pope, I am overwhelmed by my christian duties and wish I can be of significance :cry:  I don\'t normally cry, but this sure roughed me up - sometimes tears of sorrow and sometimes tears of joy. Pope John Paul II, it was difficult for me to watch your suffering on TV; not being able to speak; I feel connected but don\'t have words to express myself. Once more, Lord Jesus thank you...be our help as you\'ve always been.

God bless and guide the next Pope to carry on from where Pope John Paul II stopped. :cry:

[chizor]

I thought some of you might be interested in this. These are the events that will follow the death of the pope, and also the process of electing a anew pope



The first step will be for the cardinals of the Catholic Church to decide on the time of two events: the funeral and the start of the conclave, the gathering in which the cardinals will debate on and elect a new pope.

The Universi Dominici Gregis law dictates that the pope must be buried between the fourth and sixth day after death, after his embalmed body has been on display at St. Peter\'s Basilica for mourners.

The cardinals are expected to meet and decide on the funeral and burial on Monday. While popes have traditionally been buried beneath St. Peter\'s in modern times, there is speculation that John Paul II might have specified his burial take place in his native Poland.

The law says there must be a total of nine days of mourning, beginning on the day after the death, and the conclave cannot begin earlier than 15 days or later than 20 days after the pope\'s death.

All action in the conclave will be secret. No updates will be made until a decision is reached, however many days it takes. The only indication of results will be the presence of black smoke or white smoke from a Vatican chimney -- white when a new pope is elected and black if the voting has not produced a new pontiff.

After the official announcement of the pope\'s death on Saturday, his body was displayed for cardinals, archbishops and other dignitaries in the Apostolic Palace. On Monday, the body will be transferred to St. Peter\'s, where it will lie in state for the general public.

Here is a detailed timeline of what will happen:

DAY FOUR, FIVE or SIX


By law, the burial takes place. Tradition calls for popes to be buried in St. Peter\'s Basilica. Pope John Paul II might have asked to be buried in Poland.

DAY 10


By tradition, a big funeral Mass takes place at St. Peter\'s.

DAY 15 (earliest possible date)


By law, Conclave begins in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave refers to a locked section of the Vatican where the cardinals remain until they have elected a new pope. On that morning, the cardinals will celebrate the votive Mass \"Pro Eligendo Papa.\"


The cardinals will determine where to hold the Mass; most likely it will be in St. Peter\'s Basilica.


In the afternoon they will start the conclave. In theory they can vote that afternoon.

THE VOTING

The cardinals will vote twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. At the end of each voting session, the cardinals will burn the ballots and send a signal to the world by the color of the smoke. Voting can go on for days.

In the past a two-thirds majority plus one was needed for election, but Pope John Paul II changed that. Now, if there is no conclusive decision after 30 ballots, a simple majority is enough.

For each vote, the cardinals receive ballots bearing the inscription, \"Eligo in summum ponticem,\" Latin for \"I elect as supreme pontiff.\"

In order of seniority, the cardinals place their folded ballot containing their choice onto a small disc made of precious metal, then drop it inside a chalice.

After each vote, the ballots are burned. Chemicals are added to make the smoke black or white.

Any baptized male can be elected, though any layman selected would have to be ordained priest and bishop.

Whoever is elected is asked whether he wants the job. The process is complete as soon as he accepts.

If the person elected is a bishop, he becomes Bishop of Rome. If he is not, he is then ordained by the dean of the college.

Each of the cardinals then pledges his support to the new pope. The cardinal dean asks him what name he chooses, and the eldest member of the college then announces the selection to the world.

AFTER NEW POPE IS ELECTED


The newly elected pope will come out St. Peter\'s Basilica main balcony.


A cardinal, the eldest member of the college, will say the words \"Habemus Papam\" -- \"We have a pope\" -- and will announce the pope\'s birth name and the name he has chosen as pope.


By tradition, anywhere between 30 minutes to one hour can pass between the white smoke and the appearance on the balcony. It is only when the cardinal announces the name that the public knows who was elected.


Source CNN.COM

[Prince]

That was enlightening and will certainly enrich them who seriously desire knowledge.

[juice]

i think arinze is up for the next pope but give me a brak who gonna respect a black pope.

[sly]

Juice I dont think pope john paul ii was respected bcos he is white. I think the respect had more to do with achievements than race. I also think that Arinze would earn his respect if eventually made pope based on what he has to offer.

[okey]

personally, i think the church is above racism (not to say it does not exsit in some capacity).

That said, whoever the next pope will be, I pray that he has the strenght and inspiration to lead the church during his papacy.

It will definitely be an honor to have Cardinal Arinze as the next pope.

[Prince]

Juice\'s statement may have been a little too strong, but discounting or ignoring it not advisable.  We can wish and hope.  But somehow, reality of life has a way of staring us in the face as if to say, \"I told you so.\"

The reality of it is: that there are people in this world, who will not give a black man his if their life depended on it.

It\'s also a reality that many of the so-called supremacist groups in this country and elsewhere will not show a black man any respect.  Believe it or not, these haters call themselves Christians and belong to one denomination or another, including Catholicism.

Besides his personal achievements growing up, John Paul II helped reshape the world since his papacy, not in the religious arena, but in the political arena.  For instance, he was instrumental in the Polish revolution that instituted democracy.  Before he was Bishop, following in his father\'s footsteps, he was significantly active in the war against Nazism and Communism.  This is an example of Charity beginning at home.

On the other hand, with all his experience and accomplishments, Cardinal Arinze does not have such resume.  Even as the Archbishop of Onicha archdiocese, he did not do much to impact the happenings in the Nation.  Nigeria remains the object of ridicule among nations.  With the recent goings on regarding all manner of decadence, the Cardinal has never been known to influence anything.  Not much was heard of him during the Nigeria-Biafra war, when man rained inhumanity on another man.

The difference between John Paul II and Arinze is as clear as daylight.  Arinze can never be as electrifying as the late Pontiff.  This is not saying that Cardinal Arinze will not make a great leader.  The real problem is that Pope John Paul II has raised the bar so high that filling his shoes is an impossible task.  From this day forward, a new yardstick will be used to measure the Pope?s successor.

[fresco]

The only thing i can do it wait and see who the next pope will be. I heard dat the meeting or decision of who the next pope will be will take 33 days. series of meeting will take place and the meetings will be conducted behind doors. I believe that the late pope was able to accomplish enough b/c he was young when he was elected. Cardinal Arinze, is sort of old but i can\'t say the length of what is accomplishments will be. I\'m just gonna see what the outcomes will be. Whoeva is the pope, may the lord guide him in the right directions. Amen.

[Prince]

Yes indeed, Fresco, it is now a wait and see game.  But being the human being that we are, we cannot withhold speculation, predictions, and unsolicited insight.

If you want a good whiff of what\'s going on behind the closed door, as you put it, endeavor to read Chizor\'s article, about 6 posts up.  That should educate the above average or average minds like us.

[objobj]

for our brother\'s (arinze)own safety, he should take his name out of the \"hat\" don\'t 4get that an attempt was made on john pauls\' life because was not an italian. there\'s no way in the world they\'ll give the post to a black man....i hope they prove me wrong. as for respect, he will get it if elected; but they will rather him dead than kiss his hand

[sly]

Obj I see where ur coming from but u should also understand that being a pope is a divine call. If Arinze merits it then so be it, I dont think he should back pedal for fear of being killed after all death is inevitable. I tell u, a lot of people will want to be pope even for a week. lol. I think there is need for diversity here. Pope john paul was the first non Italian since 450 yrs, its not their birth right(Italians) and if Arinze eventually becomes the pope he will be the 2nd in history. How lovely that would be.

[Susia]

I was a lil skeptical about Arinze being the next Pope but listening to the news, his name is all over the place...... and he stands a chance.

i dont think it should really matters who becomes the next Pope as long as he does the will of God and leads the church in the right direction.

@ obj, why shld be fear for his life doing the work of God? Jesus die doing the work of God ba?. Moreover Arinze has to die anyway so why not die doing the work of God. I dont think that enough reason for him not to accept the position if infact he gets it.