New Pope election.

[Simplicio]

@t-bonham@scc.net

No, not guaranteed – that would be a plurality. This still requires a majority. 50%+1. So if there are more than 2 candidates still running, they could split the votes so nobody gets a majority.

In the old system, the last vote would be a run-off between the two highest vote getters of the previous ballots. So a result was guaranteed*.

*(I guess they could still deadlock at an exact 50-50 split. But since the system was designed to avoid deadlocks, I assume they had some way to deal with that.)

[GIGObuster]

@Simplicio

Here’s a cite for this. The next pope will indeed need 2/3rds. So conceivably there could be a longlasting deadlock, as opposed to the old system, where a result after seven ballots was guaranteed.

That reminded me of a conclave that took years to elect a pope, the delay was mostly due for political reasons, but I wonder if they liked the food and accommodations, the city folk even removed the roof of the garrison where the cardinals were taken to and reduced their rations until a choice was made.

[search]

Ah, the Guardian mentions it:

Pope Benedict XVI has resigned – what happens next?

Without the customary mourning period that follows the death of a pontiff, a meeting of the cardinals to elect his successor, called a conclave, could begin by mid-March.

The word comes from the Latin cum clave (“with key”) and refers to the fact that the Roman Catholic church’s most senior prelates used to be locked in the Sistine Chapel and adjoining buildings. The idea was to make them as uncomfortable as possible to force a choice.

It first took hold in Viterbo, a town in central Italy that was the site of several papal elections in the middle ages at times when Rome itself was judged to be too turbulent.

In 1271 the cardinals had spent 33 months failing to make up their minds, largely for political reasons, when the people of Viterbo lost patience. They persuaded the local authorities to lock the cardinals in a fortress, cut their food rations and remove the roof of the fortress to expose them to the elements.

The cardinals soon chose Gregory X, who, three years later, introduced new rules for the election of popes, including one that said the cardinals had to meet in seclusion on a gradually reduced diet until they were living off bread and water. His successor was elected in a day; the next pope in seven.

[Simplicio]

@GIGObuster

That reminded me of a conclave that took years to elect a pope, the delay was mostly due for political reasons, but I wonder if they liked the food and accommodations, the city folk even removed the roof of the garrison where the cardinals were taken to and reduced their rations until a choice was made.

Even into the 19th century, there were Conclaves that were gridlocked for months.

That said, I doubt that would happen today regardless of the system used. Before the 20th century, the Papacy had a lot of secular power, and beyond that there were a lot of secular rulers who had a strong interest in who was Pope. The result was that there were large bribes, powerful threats and other strong, decidedly non-spiritual incentives flying around the Conclave. It made sense for a Cardinal to stick it out for his candidate even if that meant getting stuck the Sistine Chapel for months, since the rewards (or punishments) could be so high.

Now a days, the main stakes are primarily theological (and even for those, there isn’t a lot of daylight between the likely candidates) and bureaucratic, and there isn’t really the kind of incentive that makes it worth it for a Cardinal to sacrifice months or years of his life being confined in the Conclave in the bloody minded pursuit of getting his preferred guy.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Here’s a Washington Post story on potential deadlocks in the conclave:

The political science of papal elections

[Marley23]

I guess it defines how you define “longlasting deadlock,” but the conclaves of the 20th century all lasted 2 to 5 days. The longest took 14 ballots and the shortest ones were over in 4.

[Kepler1571]

@Simplicio

In the old system, the last vote would be a run-off between the two highest vote getters of the previous ballots.

I find it oddly comforting that the Papacy works like Survivor.

[GIGObuster]

@Kepler1571

I find it oddly comforting that the Papacy works like Survivor.

It looks more like Vatican Idol.

It is now time for March Madness as the Cardinals are officially summoned to come to the Vatican.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57571987/with-no-pope-catholic-church-officially-summons-cardinals-for-conclave-to-elect-benedicts-replacement/

The date for the conclave of cardinals to begin their deliberations has not yet been set, although one of Pope Benedict XVI’s final acts before resigning his office was to amend the rules governing the election of a successor, allowing the cardinals to meet earlier than the usual 15-day transition between pontificates.

On Thursday, soon after Benedict left the Vatican on his final day as pope, Monsignor Carlo Maria Celli, a papal communications officer, hinted that the date could be March 11. That could not be immediately confirmed.

The date of the conclave’s start is important because Holy Week begins March 24, with Easter Sunday March 31. In order to have a new pope in place for the church’s most solemn liturgical period, he would need to be installed by Sunday, March 17

[GIGObuster]

Hah, the guys at Religious News Service are having fun with the March Madness angle.

They posted a “Sweet Sixtine” chart.

Make your picks in the Vatican's Sweet Sistine brackets!

More than 100 Roman Catholic cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel in March. One will emerge as pope. Who will it be? The “Sweet Sistine” is our guess at the top candidates from each continent.

Make your picks in the Vatican's Sweet Sistine brackets!

For anyone wondering, the March Madness and Sweet 16 comes from the NCAA Basketball tournament.

[cougar58]

As Emily Litella (Gilda Radnor) of SNL Weekend Update would say:

What’s all this fuss about the Popes erection? I know they erected a monument for Pope Urban VIII and Pope Alexander VII, but that’s because they’re dead. Hopefully, the new Pope in 2013 won’t be dead, so he won’t need an erection.
……………what…….ohhh….Nevermind

[cougar58]

(continued):

"If Catholics are going to spend money to erect anything, why don’t they tear down those nasty slums and erect luxury high rises for poor people and senior citizens! Not for popes who can afford to pay for their OWN erections! "
Nevermind
Chevy Chase: And that’s the news. Good night. Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

[cougar58]

http://www.wavsource.com/snds_2013-03-03_1761959528613864/tv/snl/radner_all_this_fuss.wav
couldn’t find a youtube of this SNL scene, but here is the audio

[Elendil_s_Heir]

A fake bishop gets busted: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/05/fake-bishop-busted-and-booted-from-vatican/?hpt=hp_c3

[Marley23]

@Elendil_s_Heir

A fake bishop gets busted: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/05/fake-bishop-busted-and-booted-from-vatican/?hpt=hp_c3

He was recognized because of his high-top sneakers and incredibly foul mouth.

[Shodan]

No, he tried to move non-diagonally.

Regards,
Shodan

[Boyo_Jim]

A straight bishop? What are the odds?

[Tim_T-Bonham.net]

@Marley23

He was recognized because of his high-top sneakers and incredibly foul mouth.

Actually, it was because he was out of uniform – his sash was lavender instead of red (it’s called cardinal red for a reason!) and his hat was a black fedora instead of a red skullcap. The College of Cardinals seems to be very fashion-conscious!

[cougar58]

The College of Cards also noticed he didn’t have callused ears

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@cougar58

The College of Cards also noticed he didn’t have callused ears

I don’t get it - from leaning up against the confession-booth screen?

CNN.com on twelve of the *papabile *- click on any for a short bio: A look at possible papal contenders

[Polycarp]

@Shodan

No, he tried to move non-diagonally.

Regards,
Shodan

And they felt rooked?

[Kepler1571]

@Polycarp

And they felt rooked?

No, he was just conspicuous among all the queens.