Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York has some advice for cardinals who are about to experience their first conclave.
“Bring a book,” he said in an interview on Tuesday afternoon, as the cardinals packed their bags to move into Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican City guesthouse where scores of cardinals stay during the conclave, the process of selecting the next leader of the Catholic Church.
“I do,” said Cardinal Dolan, “because in the conclave is mostly silence.”
When the cardinals meet for the conclave, they gather in the Sistine Chapel. All cardinal electors must swear an oath of secrecy and vote by secret ballot. The cardinals cast repeated votes until there is a two-thirds majority, and the next pope is selected.
The voting process can take an hour or two each time, so there is a lot of waiting while each cardinal fills out his ballot and submits it in an elaborate ritual to ensure there are no election violations, he said.
“It’s not like you’re at the edge of the seat, and watching them all do that,” said Cardinal Dolan, who attended the conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013.
He’s bringing a biography of Michelangelo, which felt appropriate, as he will be surrounded by some of the artist’s masterpieces, including “The Last Judgment,” which depicts the second coming of Christ and covers the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.
Cardinal Dolan said he had top candidates for pontiff in mind, men whose writing and work he has studied.
“You want to see a guy who speaks well, you look for some linguistic ability. It would be very difficult for someone who did not know enough Italian,” he said. “If you don’t know the difference between carbonara and tagliatelle, you’re in trouble. It would be very difficult for somebody who only knows Italian, because you’re also a universal pastor.”
As he spoke, he looked down at St. Peter’s Basilica from the roof terrace of the Pontifical North American College.
“I think it’ll be longer than last time,” he said, referring to the process that selected Pope Francis, which took two days. He said he had brought 12 packets of peanut butter, thinking that would be enough for him to eat three a day while sequestered. “So you figure that out,” he said on the math.
The meetings held before the conclave have been “strenuous,” he said, with “one cardinal after another” getting up to speak.
Cardinal Dolan said the cardinals had shared their concerns about what they see as challenges for Christians in Islamic countries; in countries with oppressive governments; in regions without enough Catholic priests; or where religious liberty is suppressed.
“Think of the cardinal from Sudan. Think of the cardinals from the Holy Land,” he said.
One cardinal was grateful that Francis had traveled all over the world, he said, while another said maybe the next pope should largely stay at the Vatican and bring cardinals to meet with him there.
“One of the cardinals said, I love Pope Francis, and I am grateful for his 12 years. But we are here to elect the successor of Peter, not the successor of Francis,” he said, referring to St. Peter, the first pope. “That of course is true. We have to remember that.”
The ancient and elaborate rituals of the conclave can be mystifying for those watching from afar. But new cardinals “will also say, we don’t really know the rituals and the protocol, we don’t even know what to wear,” he said. “They’re so honest and they’re so fresh.”
After a morning Mass on Wednesday, the cardinals are expected to go back to Casa Santa Marta, unpack and have lunch. The accommodation and cuisine are relatively simple. “The food’s not that good,” Cardinal Dolan said.
The process is also extremely secretive, so much so that at the last conclave, even the blinds of Cardinal Dolan’s windows were secured shut so that no one could see in or out.
Vatican City shuts down, and the cardinals are sequestered, but they have a physician and a confessor available, “if we need help in body or soul,” he said.
