Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Extra Omnes!

Thirty years ago, on October 14, 1978, the cardinal electors processed into the Sistine Chapel and thus began the Conclave of October 1978 to select a new Successor of Peter, following the sudden and tragic death of Pope John Paul the First.

Among the papabili (likely candidates to be pope), were Giuseppe Cardinal Siri of Genoa, Corrado Cardinal Ursi of Naples, Giovanni Cardinal Benelli of Florence, and Salvatore Pappalardo of Sicily. Press accounts noted that various non-Italian longshots (no non-Italian had become pope since 1523) included Johannes Willebrands of The Netherlands, Eduardo Pironio of Argentina, Paulo Evaristo Arns of Brazil, George Basil Hume of Britain, and Karol Wojtyla from Communist Poland.

No votes were held the first day.
.

No comments: