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Subscribe to RSSKathleen Sprows Cummings, University of Notre Dame and Father Thomas Reese, Georgetown University on the biggest challenges facing the Catholic Church and the next Pope.
ROME — In this country, where they love to talk, there are many views on how long the cardinals will take to choose the next pope.
The leaders of the Catholic Church don't have to act fast. When your history stretches back 2,000 years and beyond, time is relative. In 1268, the church leadership was so divided it took three years to choose a new pope. Three weeks, even three months, would not be long by comparison.
Three days is a good bet. Even Pope John Paul II, considered an outsider, was selected on the third day. But if the conclave is bitterly divided, cardinals could keep going… and going.
In Roman times the Senate of the Republic would begin at dawn. Senators were adept at delaying a vote, drawing out proceedings.
Fast forward from Roman times and Italy had inherited a culture with a slow pace and a love of long lunches and weekends away from work.
This afternoon, 115 cardinals will file into the Sistine Chapel to begin discussions on who among them will be the next pope. NBC's Lester Holt reports and Claudio Lavagna, NBC's Rome correspondent, and Father Robert Barron discuss the decision-making process.
Yet this is also the country that invented the espresso, where coffee is often drunk standing up. Italians created one of the world's greatest fast foods: pizza. And then there's Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati — Italian cars go at one speed: fast.
Perhaps Italy’s need for speed is partly a reaction to the slow lane that Italy so often appears to occupy. Traffic lights seem to take forever to change; it is little wonder many Italian drivers have one hand permanently on their vehicle's horn.
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The pope delivers his final audience in St. Peter's Square as he prepares to stand down.
Italy’s culture has shaped not only the conclave process but the entire machinery of the Vatican — a fact that some say explains many of the church’s current predicaments.
“The way in which the dysfunction of 21st century Italy has re-established itself within the curia in recent years is one of the most important issues for the church,” NBC News Vatican expert George Weigel said.
Twenty-eight of the 115 cardinals taking part in the conclave are from Italy — more than two-and-a-half times the number from the next-largest represented nation, the United States.
For almost 200 years, no papal selection has lasted longer than five days, and it is possible that all the talking prior to the conclave has helped narrow down the field. The voting itself is a slow process — the ballots are counted three times — but the results are announced as they come in, so it will quickly be clear to the cardinals if there is an emerging consensus.
Then the new pope will walk out on to the balcony St. Peter's Basilica. And the conversation will move on to whether the pace of change in the Roman Catholic Church will speed up or slow down.
NBC News' Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.
Follow NBC News' Keir Simmons on Twitter.
There's a growing tension between those who seek institutional tradition and those who want to move the Catholic Church forward and reenergize its ranks. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.
Related:
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'Total lockdown': Jamming devices block cardinals' phones
Are cardinals electing the last pope? If you believe Nostradamus ...
Leave a Comment:
another msnbc contributor who doesn't have the slightest idea as to what is really going on. has to make money, somehow.
The pageantry of Rome is fascinating to watch regardless of your religion.
"The pageantry of Rome is fascinating to watch regardless of your religion."
I agree, JK. Catholics, whether Roman or Eastern Orthodox, really know how to put on a show. It's high theater that could put Broadway to shame. The costumes alone are gorgeous.
When in Rome do as the romans do they say but only if you want to be part of a big gay mens club....
Italy has given us the worst religeon, the worst (unhealthy) foods, the biggest blunder of a car, the only thing I find they are good at is stone work, just look at those beautiful churches around the world.
The worst religion ? ..I say any religion is bad.....just look at the religious infighting in the middle east . The worst unhealthy food ? Is it worst than American fast food ? No way. Mediterranean diet has been studied to be the best for preventing heart disease. Just for your information, the average Italian has a longer life span than the average American.
Biggest "blunder" of a car ? I hope you're not referring to a Ferrari.
Your opinion is not supported by facts.
Poster Roger is a troll. If not then he is a dimwit who lives in the same area as the people in the reality shaow called Swamp People.
I never knew Olive Oil was unhealthy Roger. Where did you hear that? Is that something you made up?
"Italians created one of the world's greatest fast foods: pizza."
Pizza is the only Italian food this reporter can think of? Italy has been famous for its gourmet cooking with a vast array of different dishes. It's probably being ruined now, though, by fast food joints just as they have been ruining French cooking.
The worst food we taught the world to eat, every block has an Italian resturant on them. And yes pizza is a good example but you are right there are so many more.
Army1971,
"there are so many more."
Yes. I once ate in a good Italian restaurant in, of all places, Taiwan, and I couldn't believe the variety of dishes they had. Just the number of anti-pasti dishes alone was incredible. Here is a list of some Italian dishes on WikiPedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_dishes
They have over 650 varieties of pasta. I could get fat just breathing the air in Italy! :)
Italian culture will shape the conclave in one of two ways. 1) Corrupt as the government is 2) A lot of red tape just like the government. There is too much bureaucracy within the Italian government.
Poster Roger
Your claims are unfounded.
This entire process is nothing but a bunch of hocus-pocus, superstitions and meaningless 6th century ritual.
Yeah, you're right, but a lot of people are simple enough to eat it up.
I was going to post my views on the Pope selection,,, but after reading some of the trash that some ignorant & obviously brain dumb loud mouth don't know what they're talking about pundits I content to let you arsses lie in your own filth,,,
Even the article itself (maybe I'm biased cause I live in Rome) is mostly just a space filler. They're trying to keep everything interesting while the Cardinals are locked in the sistine chapel and nothing is going on- so they come up with obvious fluff...
and to the guy above- if you think all Italian food is garbage/junk- stop eating at the Olive Garden and come try some actual Italian food...you couldn't be more wrong if you posted that the moon was at the bottom of the sea...
Took the post right out of my mouth - so to speak. There are people who claim this is not news. i say to those, if you aren't interested, don't read it. The news is not tailored to suit them. The news is news.
It appears NBC has job openings for "news correspondents".
So people are not allowed to comment, eh Charlie? And you too 11Eagles.
The author of this article is using "tongue in cheek", somebody please explain. and no...this is not a news article, it's fluff.
How in the hell did a crappy little country like Italy get such a disproportionate number of Cardinals? The Italians have held a stanglehold on all things Papal for too long and change is overdue. Time to shake up the good old boy network in Pizza Land.
I then nominate Mr Billy Reed who be smoking the weed as the new Pope!
Maybe Bill because that is where the church is. You bring back memories of my youth growing up in the 50's plenty of anti Italian peeps like you in my neighborhood and schools. I remember one event in Social Studies in the 7th grade that for me was 1961 or 1962 went to public schools and all the teachers were either widow or old maids. Mrs Martin taught the class and one day we she talked about and it was even in the book, the good immigrants who were from England, Germany and of course Ireland. The next day was the undesirables ones, and the Italians made that list. I have a very Italian sounding last name, that is something that I will never forget. Hollywood does the best to keep the stereotype of the Italian male and female alive.
The Catholic Church is all about money and B.S.ing the people out of it that follow them.
how do you justify this comment? People give willingly to a church. Some give nothing. You don't have to give a penny to go to a Catholic Church and unlike the Government-nobody has to pay that doesn't want to.
"When your history stretches back 2,000 years and beyond, time is relative." The Catholic Church, and Christianity in general, can't claim to be more than 2000 years old by defintion unless the Vatican considers itself to be the legitimate, linear heir of the Roman Empire. Get a grip on the history!
Glad to see that the writer has reduced Italian "culture" to a bad stereo type.
Italian culture shaping the conclave?? How is that news? The conclave is always in Italy!
When will MSNBC stop talking about change in the church? THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO CHANGE. Faith is different from secular life. The reason there are sexual scandals in today's church IS because liberals like you keep the pressure of your propaganda on the weak faithful[i.e., some of the pseudo Catholics who work for you]and pushing your liberal political secular agendas that are usually against God and Scripture, thereby secularizing the Church and bringing the secular world and its sins into it!!!
JK has it right. Grand costumes with real precious stones and gold (that pipe organ music beats what is played at hockey games!). Will the ballots burn properly? What desperate measures are taken to get that correct color smoke. Does shieet hit the fan when it doesn't? Do "heads roll?" I would really love to know the inside scoop. Can't at least one rebel cardinal sneak in tiny surveillance devices so we can see behind the curtain. It could be boring, yet some possible bawdy talk, disgusting brown nosing, outrageous and possibly felony bribes, not to leave out the costly back stabbing could be "sold" by the vatican. "Real Cardinals at the Vatican" could be a big hit for reality tv if it was edited for scandal.
The only "sex scandal" in the Catholic church I know of first hand was when my great grandparents lived near a large Catholic school. A path was worn between the priests' and nun's quarters behind their house. They were the designated "watchers" of that path and got their joy from the daily gossip they could spread.
Saneg:
I have never been able to pass the collection plate without putting anything in it because of dirty looks and sneers if I didn't. A Baptist church I once went to actually sent out mailers to every member of the church (and anyone that visited and was stupid enough to fill out a brief questioner), that if you truly loved God you would dig deeper into your pockets and cough up more than 10% of your gross, in order for the church to get a face lift.
The Catholic church gets people to spend money on their children for the proper clothing for christenings and first communions. A poor family with 6 or more children suffer because of these demands. Does God really care what your child is wearing for these ceremonies considering the Christ child was born in a stable without a layette.