The document aims to foster a shared sense of responsibility for human dignity amid rapid  technological advancements. To ensure that every individual – regardless of their background – can benefit from these advances, then religions, international organisations, Governments,  institutions and the private sector must work together.

It calls for the ethical development of Artificial Intelligence that serves humanity rather than  profit and resists the gradual replacement of people in the workplace, as well as a respect for  our common home.

“We are very pleased that, with the inclusion of our Anglican brothers and sisters, the Rome  Call may experience a further step of growth. When reflection and dialogue on issues of  technological development meet in a spirit of fraternity, it is possible to find shared paths and  effective solutions to build peace and the common good.” said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia,  President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and the RenAIssance Foundation.

Commenting on the signing, Archbishop Justin Welby, signing on behalf of the Church of  England, said: “I am delighted to support the Rome AI Call, which emphasises the dignity of  every human being amid technological change. While we can’t predict the future, we do know  that there will continue to be rapid developments in science and technology and we need to be  prepared. AI offers enormous potential in improving human capability. It must also seek to  protect, preserve and cherish the dignity of the human person. The huge advances offered by  AI cannot be the sole property of its developers, or any single part of the human race. They must  be for all people everywhere. They must serve the common good, they must serve the climate,  they must serve sustainable development. So much of how we understand Artificial Intelligence  comes down to how we understand the nature of being human. Let us all work to ensure that  the dignity of every human being, created by God, not for profit or productivity, is central to all  we do.”

Father Paolo Benanti, Extraordinary Professor of Ethics of Technology at the Pontifical  Gregorian University and scientific director of the RenAIssance Foundation, also  enthusiastically welcomed this event, stating, “With this new growth of the Rome Call we can

look with renewed confidence to algorethics, that is, to the positive contribution of the ethical  approach to artificial intelligence. It is never merely a matter of innovation. Rather, it is about  transforming the latter into human development. It is also very important that the heritage of  human wisdom represented by religions speaks to the whole of humanity, enhancing what is  shared in order to address contemporary challenges.”

The ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Since the launch of the Rome Call in February 2020, many stakeholders have signed it including  representatives from the Abrahamic religions and the Italian government, and players such as  Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco.

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Anglican leader signs Vatican appeal for ethical development of artificial intelligence appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Hence, the Museums confirm and consolidate a cultural initiative that for several years has regarded the visual and musical arts as protagonists and sisters. As in previous editions, the young excellences of the Italian Conservatories and of the International Academies of Higher Learning (IAHL), in collaboration with the Italian National Music Committee  (INMC), will have the opportunity to measure themselves in a unique setting for its visibility and beauty.

Musical and choral excellences of the whole Peninsula will perform live, among some of the principal master works of classical statuary of Modena, Imola, Terni, Pinerolo, Sassari, Naples, Castelfranco Veneto and Sienna.

“To allow people to visit the works of the Vatican Museums, to admire their beauty and singularity, and to listen to a concert of classical music, at the end of the course, is the formula that we repeat again this year, thanks to the consolidated synergy that we have found and reinforced over time with the INMC since 2015. The success and the public’s appreciation, not only Italian but also foreign, has given us the strength and conviction to organize the event for the seventh time with great enthusiasm,” said Barbara Jatta, the Museums’ Directress.

“It’s an honour for the INMC to be able to continue this collaboration given the peculiarity and exceptionality of the place where our musicians will perform and because it enables us to offer our artists — who this year will all be Italians –, the opportunity to perform before a reduced but select public in an absolutely exclusive enclosure,” added the INMC’s Vice-President and IAHL’s President, Francescantonio Pollice.

The musical proposal of the opening and closing days of the season will be double and very suggestive: in them will perform jointly inside the “Braccio Nuovo,” the “Musical Band of the Gendarmerie’s Corps” with the “Musical Band of the Air Force “ (Friday, May 3) and with the “Musical Band of the Navy” (Friday, October 25).

The musicians of the Vatican Band will be protagonists again in the Polo Museale of Castel Gandolfo, of the concert for brass ensemble, which will be held exceptionally in the Papal Palace on Sunday, September 29 at 5:00 pm, on the occasion of the Feast of the Archangels.

Not only art and history, but also amusement and, why not, a toast in the “Pine Cone Courtyard” Website www.museivaticani.va.

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Vatican Museums Announce Series of Concerts, Included in Entrance Ticket, from May to October 2024 appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has been conscious of this need and responded through Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner, creating shower facilities under Saint Peter’s Colonnade, lodgings such as the “Gift of Mercy” on Via dei Penitenzieri and the “Mother of Mercy” Clinic under the Colonnade.

Established on Thursday, April 18 in the Vatican’s Square was the Prevention Caravan, resulting from the collaboration between the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and KOMEN- Italy. The association is dedicated to the prevention and fight against breast cancer, in collaboration the IRCCS Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic Foundation and Gemelli Isola.

The Caravan will be at the Vatican every two months. A pink ribbon, symbol of the prevention and research on the most widespread cancer among women, has been placed outside the “Mother of Mercy” Clinic.

On the first day, 40 women were attended by the Clinic and Saint Martha’s Dispensary. They underwent diagnostic tests to detect breast cancer. If any of the women were to have a problem, they would be given additional examinations and all the necessary treatments.

This initiative is just one of the many carried out by the “Mother of Mercy” Clinic. A clinic, desired by the Holy Father, has become a functional reality.

Since January 1, 2024, 4,429 health services have been provided, including 2,054 general medical consultations, 1,901 specialized consultations, 115 dental visits, 359 laboratory tests have been carried out and 4,199 boxes of medicines have been delivered.

The Clinic is able to function thanks to the support of 80 doctors, nurses, paramedics and technicians who volunteer their time and professionalism to attend to the most vulnerable.

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Vatican Places Out Patient Clinic in Saint Peter’s Square to Detect Breast Cancer appeared first on ZENIT - English.

According to reports furnished by the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica,” Tejada was arrested while carrying several pocket knives just on the day (April 10) that the Holy Father was holding the General Audience in the Square, in the presence of hundreds of faithful.

During the interrogation after his arrest, Tejada said he arrived in Italy from Kiev’s front, although the investigators confirmed that he had travelled from Moldavia. He faces serious accusations in the United States for abducting real estate agents, whom he took to visit luxury properties and then attacked and stripped them of their belonging, leaving them abandoned in their underwear inside houses. He is one of the most wanted criminals in New York.

Tejada left the United States in February 2022 for Ukraine, but then he decided suddenly to go to Rome. At present, he is waiting for the American Authorities to request his extradition to face the charges against him.

The post One of the Most Wanted New York Criminals Is Arrested Around the Vatican appeared first on ZENIT - English.

What is this meeting about and who is promoting it? 

It is a meeting for listening, for prayer and discernment promoted by the General Secretariat of the  Synod and the Dicastery for the Clergy, together with the Dicastery for Evangelisation (Section for  the First Evangelisation and the Particular New Churches) and the Dicastery for the Oriental  Churches.

This initiative also responds to the indications of the participants in the first session of the 16th  Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, who suggested listening more to the voice of  parish priests.

What are the objectives?  

• To listen to and enhance the synodal experience they are having in their respective parishes  and dioceses.
• To enable dialogue and the exchange of experiences and ideas.
• To provide material to be used for the drafting of the Instrumentum laboris for the Second  Session, together with the summaries of the consultation coordinated by the Bishops’  Conferences and the results of the theological-canonical study carried out by five Working  Groups activated by the General Secretariat of the Synod.

How many participants will attend the meeting? 

The number of participants (around 200) was determined according to a criterion similar to that used  for the election of the members of the Synodal Assembly by the Bishops’ Conferences¹. However,  given the requests received from some Bishops’ Conferences, the number of parish priests will be  higher than 200.

¹ For the Latin Rite Church – according to the number of members of each Bishops’ Conference: 1 representative for  Bishops’ Conferences with no more than 25 members; 2 representatives for Bishops’ Conferences with 26-50 members;  3 for Bishops’ Conferences with 51-100 members; 4 for Bishops’ Conferences with more than 100 members. In addition,  1 parish priest per continent representing ecclesiastical circumscriptions without an Episcopal Conference. For the Eastern  Catholic Churches: 1 representative for each Synod of Bishops or Council of Hierarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches  with no more than 25 members; 2 representatives for each Synod or Council with 26-50 members; 3 representatives for  each Synod or Council with more than 50 members.

What criteria were used for the selection of the parish priests? 

For the selection of participants, the Bishops’ Conferences and Eastern Catholic Churches were asked  to take the following criteria into account as much as possible:

• Preference for parish priests who have significant experience in the perspective of a synodal  Church.
• Promotion of a variety of pastoral backgrounds (rural, urban, specific socio-cultural contexts,  etc.).  

How is the meeting programme structured? (see attached programme)

The meeting will take place in two major moments.

First moment 

In Sacrofano (29 April -1 May):

• General theme: How to be a local synodal Church in mission.
• A theme for each of the three days: The face of the synodal Church; All disciples, all  missionaries; Weaving bonds, building community.
• Presentations will be accompanied by five experts: V. David (bishop, Philippines), B.  Ndubueze Ejeh (canonist, Nigeria), T. Halík (theologian, Czech Republic), G. Routhier  (theologian, Canada) and M.L. Zervino (sociologist, Argentina).
• Method: Conversation in the Spirit.
• Group and plenary work.
• Time for prayer (prayer at the beginning of the day, time for personal prayer, celebration of  the Eucharist). In the morning, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the chapel.

Second moment 

At the Vatican (2 May):

• Meeting-dialogue with the Holy Father (New Synod Hall).
• Eucharist in St. Peter’s Basilica (Altar of the Cathedra).

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post World meeting of parish priests for the synod at the Vatican appeared first on ZENIT - English.

It is an artefact of great cultural value for the Basilica, belonging to the artistic apogee that occurred during the pontificate of Nicholas IV, the first Franciscan Pope.

The bell, donated by the Roman senator Pandolfo Savelli “AD HONOREM DEI ET BEATE MARIE VIRGINIS”, from the ancient bell tower was inserted into the belfry of the new tower, built in 1376 – still the highest point in the centre of Rome.

For its execution, in 1289, Guidotto and Andreotto Pisano recast an ancient bell from the time of Pope Callistus II (1119-1124).

From the top of the Esquiline Hill, it spread its sound throughout the city until 1884, when, due to a breakage, it was dismantled and later housed in the Vatican collection at the behest of Leo XIII (1878-1903). As a replacement, a new bell was placed, to which the story of the ‘Sperduta’ refers today, originally linked to the old one.

Even today at 9 p.m., the tolling of the bell can still be heard in memory of the story of the pilgrim who was lost in the night and who, thanks to the tolling, found her way back into the city.

From now on, the story of the ‘Lost One’ will not only refer to the young pilgrim but also to the historic bell itself, which returns to the Basilica after 140 years.

The bell will be exhibited along the route of the museum centre leading to the Loggia delle Benedizioni.

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post PHOTO GALLERY: First Marian church in the world, in Rome, to receive historic bell appeared first on ZENIT - English.

The celebration, which began with the “Resurrexit” rite, was attended by Roman faithful and pilgrims from around the world for the Easter festivities.

At the end of the Mass, the Pope greeted the thousands of pilgrims who crowded St. Peter’s Square and Via della Concilliazione from the popemobile. Later, he ascended to the central balcony of the basilica to impart the Urbi et Orbi blessing, which is given twice a year: at Christmas and Easter. Before giving the blessing, the Pope delivered the traditional Easter message, which we offer below translated into English:

***

Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!

Today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed two thousand years ago from Jerusalem: “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised!” (Mk 16:6).

The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and other stones as well. Like the women disciples of Jesus, we ask one another: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (cf. Mk 16:3).

This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning: the stone, the immense stone, was rolled away. The astonishment of the women is our astonishment as well: the tomb of Jesus is open and it is empty! From this, everything begins anew! A new path leads through that empty tomb: the path that none of us, but God alone, could open: the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of hostility.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is risen! He alone has the power to roll away the stones that block the path to life. He, the living One, is himself that path. He is the Way: the way that leads to life, the way of peace, reconciliation and fraternity. He opens that path, humanly impossible, because he alone takes away the sin of the world and forgives us our sins. For without God’s forgiveness, that stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, there is no overcoming the barriers of prejudice, mutual recrimination, the presumption that we are always right and others wrong. Only the risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of our sins, opens the way for a renewed world.

Jesus alone opens up before us the doors of life, those doors that continually we shut with the wars spreading throughout the world. Today we want, first and foremost, to turn our eyes to the Holy City of Jerusalem, that witnessed the mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, and to all the Christian communities of the Holy Land.

My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions.  In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all!

I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip.

Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children. How much suffering we see in the eyes of the children: the children in those lands at war have forgotten how to smile! With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction?  War is always an absurdity, war is always a defeat! Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.

Brothers and sisters, let us not forget Syria, which for thirteen years has suffered from the effects of a long and devastating war. So many deaths and disappearances, so much poverty and destruction, call for a response on the part of everyone, and of the international community.

My thoughts turn today in a special way to Lebanon, which has for some time experienced institutional impasse and a deepening economic and social crisis, now aggravated by the hostilities on its border with Israel. May the Risen Lord console the beloved Lebanese people and sustain the entire country in its vocation to be a land of encounter, coexistence and pluralism.

I also think in particular of the region of the Western Balkans, where significant steps are being taken towards integration in the European project. May ethnic, cultural and confessional differences not be a cause of division, but rather a source of enrichment for all of Europe and for the world as a whole.

I likewise encourage the discussions taking place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, so that, with the support of the international community, they can pursue dialogue, assist the displaced, respect the places of worship of the various religious confessions, and arrive as soon as possible at a definitive peace agreement.

May the risen Christ open a path of hope to all those who in other parts of the world are suffering from violence, conflict, food insecurity and the effects of climate change. May the Lord grant consolation to the victims of terrorism in all its forms. Let us pray for all those who have lost their lives and implore the repentance and conversion of the perpetrators of those crimes.

May the risen Lord assist the Haitian people, so that there can soon can be an end to the acts of violence, devastation and bloodshed in that country, and that it can advance on the path to democracy and fraternity.

May Christ grant consolation and strength to the Rohingya, beset by a grave humanitarian crisis, and open a path to reconciliation in Myanmar, torn for years now by internal conflicts, so that every logic of violence may be definitively abandoned.

May the Lord open paths of peace on the African continent, especially for the suffering peoples in Sudan and in the entire region of the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, in the region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the province of Capo Delgado in Mozambique, and bring an end to the prolonged situation of drought which affects vast areas and provokes famine and hunger.

May the Risen One make the light of his face shine upon migrants and on all those who are passing through a period of economic difficulty, and offer them consolation and hope in their moment of need. May Christ guide all persons of good will to unite themselves in solidarity, in order to address together the many challenges which loom over the poorest families in their search for a better life and happiness.

On this day when we celebrate the life given us in the resurrection of the Son, let us remember the infinite love of God for each of us: a love that overcomes every limit and every weakness. And yet how much the precious gift of life is despised! How many children cannot even be born? How many die of hunger and are deprived of essential care or are victims of abuse and violence?  How many lives are made objects of trafficking for the increasing commerce in human beings?

Brothers and sisters, on the day when Christ has set us free from the slavery of death, I appeal to all who have political responsibilities to spare no efforts in combatting the scourge of human trafficking, by working tirelessly to dismantle the networks of exploitation and to bring freedom to those who are their victims. May the Lord comfort their families, above all those who anxiously await news of their loved ones, and ensure them comfort and hope.

May the light of the resurrection illumine our minds and convert our hearts, and make us aware of the value of every human life, which must be welcomed, protected and loved.

A happy Easter to all!

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post This is Pope Francis’ urbi et orbi message for Easter 2024 appeared first on ZENIT - English.

In December of 2021, the Holy Father intervened in the Basilica and appointed a Commissioner in the figure of Lithuanian Bishop Rolandas Makrickas. His main task was to organize the life of the Council and of the Basilica itself.  On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Pope communicated his new decisions: the first was to free Canons from financial and administrative obligations, so that they can dedicate themselves completely to the spiritual and pastoral accompaniment of pilgrims from all over the world. The second is new Statutes and a new Regulation of the Basilica’s Council. Finally, the Pontiff made Bishop Makrickas Coadjutor Archpriest of the Basilica (with the right of succession)and equipped him with all the faculties for the government of the Council (the Council is a body or community of capitular ecclesiastics of a Cathedral or Collegial church).

Other Measures

In an audience on March 19, 2024, granted to Monsignor Edgar Peña, Substitute for General Affairs, the Pontiff decided that the Canons and Coadjutors of Saint Mary Major’s Council, appointed before the coming into force of the Statutes mentioned above, and who reach the age of 80, are to become Honorary Canons and Honorary Coadjutors.

While their health and self-sufficiency allow it:

1.The Honorary Canons will keep their current apartments, the title of supernumerary Apostolic Protonotary and their vestments.

2.The Honorary Coadjutors will have a rental fee and will keep their Coadjutor vestments.

Moreover, both the Honorary Canons and the Honorary Coadjutors will be able:

3.To continue their voluntary liturgical-pastoral activity in the Basilica.

4.To continue receiving the capitular assignment.

5.To enjoy the possibility of burial in the Canons’ Cemetery.

The Honorary Canons are exempt from obligations to the Council and will not take part in the Chapter Sessions.

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Pope Francis Reforms the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major: These Are the New Measures appeared first on ZENIT - English.

***

I am very pleased to meet you, as you commemorate the first centenary of the foundation of the “Bambino Gesù” Paediatric Hospital. A century ago, it was donated to the Holy See by the Salviati family: the first real hospital dedicated to children. The gift was welcomed by Pius XI, who saw in the work the expression of the charity of the Pope and of the Church towards the little patients, and from then on it has been known as the “Pope’s Hospital”.

Let us pause a moment, then, to reflect with gratitude on the richness of this institution, which has developed over a century of history, highlighting three aspects: giving, care, and community.

[1 Giving]

The first aspect: giving. Today “Bambino Gesù” is one of the largest centres for paediatric research and care, a reference point for families who come from all over the world. However, the element of giving, with values of gratuitousness, generosity, willingness and humility, remains fundamental, in its history and its vocation. It is good to remember, in this regard, the gesture of the children of Duchess Arabella Salviati who, at the beginning of your history, gave their mother their moneybox as a gift in order to create a hospital for children: this tells us that this great work is based also on humble gifts, such as that of these young people for the benefit of their sick peers. And in the same vein, it is good, in our times, to mention the generosity of the many benefactors thanks to whom it was possible to build a Palliative Care Centre in Passoscuro for very young patients suffering from incurable diseases.

Only in this light can one fully understand the value of what you do, from the smallest to the largest things, and continue to dream for the future. Let us think, for example, of the prospect of a new site in Rome, the premises for which were recently set out in an agreement between the Holy See and the Italian State. Likewise, the considerable ordinary and extraordinary economic commitment, linked to the protection and maintenance of structures and equipment; to the guarantee of the professional quality of doctors and operators; to scientific research; to the reception of children in need from all over the world, offered without distinction of social condition, nationality or religion. In all this, giving is an indispensable element of your being and acting.

[2 Care]

Second aspect: care. Science, and as a consequence the capacity to treat, can be said to be the first of the tasks that characterizes the “Bambino Gesù” Hospital today. It is the tangible response you give to the heartfelt requests for help from families who ask for their children to be assisted and, where possible, cured. Excellence in biomedical research is therefore important. I encourage you to cultivate it with the zeal to offer the best of yourselves, and with special attention towards the frailest, such as patients affected with serious, rare or ultra-rare diseases. Not only that, but so that science and expertise do not remain the privilege of a few, I urge you to continue to make the fruits of your research available to all, especially where they are most needed, as you do for example by contributing to the training of African, Asian and Middle Eastern doctors and nurses.

On the subject of care, we know that a child’s illness involves all his or her family members. Therefore, it is a great consolation to know that there are so many families cared for by your services, accommodated in facilities linked to the hospital and accompanied by your kindness and closeness. This is a qualifying element, which should never be overlooked, even though I know that you sometimes work under difficult conditions. Rather we sacrifice something else, but not kindness and tenderness. There is no care without relationship, proximity and tenderness, at every level.

[3 Community]

And finally, we come to the third point: community. One of the most beautiful expressions describing the mission of “Bambino Gesù” is “Lives that help life”. It is beautiful, because it speaks of a mission carried out together, a joint action in which the gift of each person finds its place. This is your true strength, and the prerequisite for facing even the most difficult of challenges. Indeed, yours is not a job like many others: it is a mission, which each person exercises in a different way. For some it involves the dedication of an entire life; for others, for others it involves volunteering time; for others, it involves the gift of blood, of milk – for hospitalized babies whose mothers cannot provide it -, and even the gift of organs, cells and tissues, offered by living people or taken from the bodies of deceased people. Love drives some parents to the heroic gesture of consenting to the donation the organs of their children who passed away. In all of this, what emerges is a “togetherness” in which the various gifts contribute to the good of the young patients.

Dear brothers and sisters, I confess that when I come to “Bambino Gesù” I feel two opposing sentiments: I feel sorrow for the suffering of the sick children and their parents, but at the same time I feel great hope, seeing everything that is done there to treat them. Thank you! Thank you for all of this. Keep going forward in this blessed work. I bless you from my heart, and I pray for you. And you too, please, pray for me. Thank you.

Now I will give the blessing to you all: to the sick, the doctors, the nurses and all the people who work in this Hospital and for this Hospital. Let us pray to Our Lady to help us to keep going. Hail Mary…

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Gift, care and community: the Pope’s Hospital that heals children (with a reflection of Francis) appeared first on ZENIT - English.

However, since then, there has been no progress in these alleged reforms. The recent controversy unleashed by the Declaration “Fiducia Supplicans,” on the blessing of “irregular” couples, reflects the difficulties the Church faces to implement significant changes. This Declaration, condemned by some as ineffective and inappropriate, reflects a more profound crisis in the ecclesiastical institution and its decision-making mechanisms.

An analysis article, published by Alberto Melloni, known historian favourable to Pope Francis, poses the urgent need of a reform in the Conclave, not in as much as its composition and functions, but in its relation to the times. In a world marked by the resurgence of geopolitical conflicts and the growth of nationalism, the Roman Catholic Church emerges as a counter-weight to the aspirants of global hegemony. In face of the rise of power politics based on technology and violence, the Church represents a disarmed but influential global force.

The Conclave’s history reveals its essential purpose: to guarantee an indisputable and swift papal succession in times of uncertainty. However, the current risks, such as the manipulation of information and external interference, pose additional challenges to this process. The speed with which recent Conclaves have decided, suggests a lack of time for internal dialogue and reflection, which can undermine the legitimacy of the papal election.

A simple but effective solution is proposed: to space out the votes to enable a greater internal debate and to avoid precipitate decisions. This reform, although seemingly trivial, could strengthen the cohesion of the College of Cardinals and protect the elected Pope from unfounded accusations. The proposal on the revision of the Conclave’s times and procedures implies the possibility to space out the votes to enable a greater dialogue and reflection among the Cardinal Electors. This could avoid precipitate decisions and guarantee a more deliberative and transparent process.

Posed, moreover, is the need to re-evaluate the duration of the Conclave and the frequency of the votes. It’s argued that recent Conclaves have been too short, which has limited the time for internal debate and the building of consensus. By extending the duration of the Concave and reducing the frequency of the votes, a more reflective and collaborative process could be fostered.

The question that remains in the air is if Pope Francis will carry out this necessary reform and, if so, how he will do it. In this connection, the lack of consensus inside the Church and the complexity of the institutional structure pose significant challenges. However, the urgency of the situation calls for decisive action to guarantee the stability and integrity of the Church in a world in constant change. Another proposal for the reform of the Conclave came, in the recent past, from another historian: Cardinal  Walter Brandmüller. In that case the proposal was, essentially, to reduce the Cardinal Electors to the conditioning of having lived in Rome

Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.

The post Before a Next Conclave, Historian Suggests a Reform That Makes It Slower and Says Why appeared first on ZENIT - English.