#History of Conclaves

[deadpresidents]

Can you recommend any books on conclaves to elect popes?

Yes, I can!

•The Triple Crown: An Account of the Papal Conclaves from the Fifteenth Century to Modern Times (BOOK) by Valerie Pirie Even though this book was originally published in 1935 (the edition I have is the updated 1965 version), it is a great look at each of the conclaves from the election of Pope Callixtus III in 1455 to Pope Leo XIII in 1878. Unlike a lot of older books, the Triple Crown is a really easy read and one that you can breeze through while learning a lot about 400+ years of papal elections. And while I'm old-fashioned and need to actually have a physical copy of a book in order to read it, Pirie's entire book is actually available online to read for free at this website.

•Passing the Keys: Modern Cardinals, Conclaves, and the Election of the Next Pope (BOOK) by Francis A. Burkle-Young Originally published in 1999, Passing the Keys takes a look at more modern conclaves than The Triple Crown. In fact, Burkle-Young's book picks up where Pirie's book ends -- with short histories of the conclaves of 1878 (Pope Leo XIII), 1903 (Pope Pius X), 1914 (Pope Benedict XV), and 1922 (Pope Pius XI). Then the book takes an in-depth look at the conclaves of 1939 (Pope Pius XII), 1958 (Pope John XXIII), 1963 (Pope Paul VI), August 1978 (Pope John Paul I), and October 1978 (Pope John Paul II).

•The Popes of Avignon: A Century in Exile (BOOK) by Edwin Mullins, and Avignon and Its Papacy, 1309-1417: Popes, Institutions, and Society (BOOK | KINDLE) by Joëlle Rollo-Koster While not solely about conclaves, these two books are solid histories on the Avignon Papacy, a period during the Fourteenth Century when over a half-dozen Popes (all French) were elected in and ruled from France due to pressure and influence from various French monarchs.

•The Year of Three Popes (BOOK) by Peter Hebblethwaite A fascinating look at the two conclaves and three popes of 1978 by one of the great papal historians. Hebblethwaite covers the death of Pope Paul VI and conclave of August 1978, which resulted in the election of Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I. And then, after just 33 days, the world was stunned by the sudden death of John Paul I, so the College of Cardinals had to return to Rome and hold yet another conclave, leading to the election in October 1978 of Karol Wojtyla of Poland as Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years.

•The Making of the Popes 1978: The Politics of Intrigue in the Vatican (BOOK) and The Making of the Pope 2005 (BOOK) by Father Andrew M. Greeley In the same vein as Theodore White's classic Making of the President series, Catholic priest and historian Father Andrew M. Greeley wrote two richly-detailed accounts of modern conclaves. The Making of the Popes 1978 tells the story of the two conclaves in August and October 1978 following the deaths of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul I respectively. The Making of the Pope 2005 looks at the death of Pope John Paul II and the conclaves which elected Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI.

[afrosarah]

He's the least sequestered man on the planet. He's in crisis. He's a mean girl. He is God's weakest soldier. He's a 60 yr old man but he's giving failgirl eldest daughter energy. He manages. He's canonically bisexual. He's celibate. He was born in a wet cardboard box. He serves cunt. He has a certain sadness in his eyes you only see in Eastern European gay porn. He struggles to open a ziplock bag, and he DOES NOT WANT YOUR VOTE!

I didn't say a name, but he popped in your head, didn't he?

[theawkwardvirgin]

Clarification on the “We had a pope who was in the Hitler Youth and fought with the Nazis”: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (pope before Francis), was 6 when the Nazis took power. At 14 he was forced into the Hitler Youth, but he refused to attend meetings even though it risked his ability to attend school. At 16 he was conscripted into the German military. Two years later, when he reached 18, he deserted.

To imply that his enrollment and conscription were voluntary is despicable and ignores the great personal risks he took in acting against the Nazis.

[roguekaiju]

He geniunely looks like a romance lead here he's so gorgeous in this scene

[wardensantoineandevka]

the new pope being a White Sox fan is how you know he's truly a man of faith, because the Sox aren't ever gonna win anything without divine intervention

[papillon-de-porcelaine]

Cardinal Benitez save me,,,,, save me cardinal Benitez

[kavardakmaria]

CONCLAVE | PROFESSORS AU

— There was no need to put your elbow here. That’s an invasion of my personal space.

— The composition’s better this way.

— As if you know anything about photography.

— As if you know anything about common sense.

— Professors! Can you please look at the camera, we don’t have much time before your lecture.

Partially inspired by this fic by roypeloy and by the photo under the cut

[the-ancient-comedy]

In the books, Jaime Cardinal Sin was the one who ordained Benítez. And as a Filipino Catholic myself, even if he died before I was even born, I could say that this man was a legend. He's a revolutionary.

He is still popular to this day.

And that mirrors Benítez' work in Manila to Baghdad so much. I'm gonna cry.

[deadpresidents]

"In the fourth vote, the ballots overwhelmingly shifted" to Cardinal Prevost, Cardinal You of South Korea said.

Cardinal Müller sat behind the American front-runner in the Sistine Chapel and noticed that he seemed calm. Cardinal Tagle, who sat next to Cardinal Prevost, noticed him taking deep breaths as votes amassed in his favor.

"I asked him, 'Do you want a candy?' and he said, 'Yes'," Cardinal Tagle said.

During one of the votes, Cardinal Tobin, as he held his ballot high and put it in the urn, turned and saw Cardinal Prevost, whom he had known for about 30 years.

"I took a look at Bob," Cardinal Tobin said, "and he had his head in his hands."

-- A fascinating inside-the-Sistine-Chapel look at the Conclave that elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, via the New York Times.

I love the image of one Cardinal offering candy to another Cardinal who is trying not to hyperventilate because he realizes he's about to be elected Pope.

[thaern]

honestly so refreshing to see someone also interested in latin american history and politics in the conclave fandom!!!! i feel like people overlook how politically #awful mexico was during the 60s-90s, between the guerra sucia, the violence against student protesters, the government-led massacres, and the severe recession and poverty in the 90s. plus the presence of liberation theology and radical indigenous groups!!!!!! benítez was always going to be a radical and it's nice to know someone else sees that :]

Yes! I'm latina and I have been studying the history of LATAM in the context of philosophy and as you may well know, you can't talk about an specific thinking without the historical context behind.

I have invested specifically in migration mostly bc my country is a bridge between South and North America so I detailed mostly in the context of political, religion and social perspective AND YES everything connect to one point, as I tried to show how dirty are some positions (political I mean) obviously I have to go back to context of the civil war here in the 80s, the strike of students, workers and of course the killing of thinking (and of course lives) of our indigenous groups.

So yes, when I see Vincent, specific the movie Vincent being a Latino who grow in the context of a LATAM where there were more conflicts being social or politic is almost out of character not thinking he wouldn't make an opinion of it, special if he later gets to live in dangerous places whose actual state of living is directly caused by a political thing.

So when Tedesco makes his speech and Vincent talks I don't think he does simply for defending his faith but to tried to show that this meaningless fight the curia has in his hands is NOTHING, they have grow acoustom to their privilege that they don't see beyond Rome and blame something they didn't even tried to understand, is just too much.

I can tried to explain so much, how the theory of liberation can be explain in Vincent, how he won't feel completely in his new position thanks to his political and social views, how his history is easy ignore for those who don't entirely understand the reality of our history, etc, but yes

Is good to see that someone else see this and Vincent as a revolutionary between his position as member of the church allowed him

[laniidae-passerine]

it would be crazy to be a Vatican historian/reporter and live through the events of Conclave 2024. You’ve spent years studying the inner workings of the Vatican, tracing infighting and feuding via press releases, calculating the support for each Cardinal with both the public and their peers. You’re about 75% sure, depending on how conservative you believe the Church is leaning, that the result will be a man who is largely popular bar the contentious issue of his homophobia, a firmly progressive New Yorker or the face of traditional Latin liturgical values. There’s also a chance that a Canadian may sweep in and clear up all the votes if the two sides of the Church grow increasingly divided and choose the most centrist option to get it all over and done with. You wait patiently, wondering if any news is being fed to them that might change the minds of Cardinals, such as the terror attacks you may have even been present for. Finally, on the third day, white smoke spools out of that chimney and you’re ready with dossiers of information at hand to publish the first article explaining exactly who the new Pope is and his personal history. And then when someone steps onto the balcony, it’s literally some guy you’ve never even heard of before and not only is some random Pope, one of his first acts is to fire a guy you thought might get the job. what the actual fuck would people think was going on.

[howisthepope]

if you haven’t already seen it i highly recommend tasting history with max miller’s video about the conclave. he makes conclave ribs.

i want to make conclave ribs

I haven't seen but I am totally intrigued. Will watch it sometime!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

•

[lostinhistory]

Heritage News of the Week

Discoveries!

The ship was part of a Spanish colonizing expedition led by the conquistador Tristán de Luna y Arellano, who was voyaging from Mexico under the Spanish crown. In September 1559, a hurricane in Pensacola Bay wrecked several of the 11 ships, which had been anchored near the new Spanish settlement of Santa María de Ochuse. Researchers found one of these wrecks, known as Emanuel Point II, in 2006. This shipwreck holds the remains of an adult and a juvenile domestic cat (Felis catus), according to the new study.

'Overkill' injuries on Bronze Age skeletons reveal fierce feuding in ancient China

A unique Bronze Age cemetery in China has revealed a high frequency of injuries suggestive of intense, violent interactions.

Hikers make stunning discovery of $340,000 gold hoard in Czech mountains

The Museum of Eastern Bohemia in the Czech Republic city of Hradec Králové has announced the discovery of a 20th-century gold trove worth more than $340,000.

2,300-year-old sword unearthed at necropolis in France

Two 2,300-year-old swords discovered in a Celtic Iron Age necropolis in France "have few equivalents in Europe," and one is decorated with tiny swastikas, the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research reports.

Mummy mystery solved: ‘air-dried’ priest was embalmed via rectum

Intrigue had long swirled around the mummified body stored in the church crypt of St Thomas am Blasenstein. The remains were rumoured to be the naturally preserved corpse of an aristocratic vicar, Franz Xaver Sidler von Rosenegg, who died in 1746 at the aged of 37, gaining the mummy the moniker of the “air-dried chaplain”. Now experts say they have discovered the body was embalmed with the abdominal and pelvic cavities packed with wood chips, fragmented twigs, fabrics such as hemp and silk, and zinc chloride – materials that would have absorbed fluids inside the body.

Tw: Image of human remains at link

This facility once produced the ancient world’s rarest dye at a grand scale

Archaeologists in Israel have turned up the remains of a massive operation that once produced Tyrian purple.

'Groundbreaking' ancient DNA research confirms Pueblo peoples' ties to famous Chaco Canyon site

New genetic research confirms what the oral traditions of the Picuris Pueblo people of New Mexico have long described — that they're related to the Indigenous people of Chaco Canyon.

Ancient tomb of nomadic horse lord yields untouched treasures and weapons

A archaeological discovery near Grozny has unearthed an undisturbed Alanian tomb dating back over two millennia, revealing a wealth of exquisite artifacts including unique triple-edged weapons and elaborate horse adornments.

Egyptologist uncovers hidden messages on Paris’s iconic obelisk

Olette-Pelletier found seven crypto-hieroglyphs on the monument that could only be read by elites.

Unique lion-headed handles unveiled from a Roman-period cist tomb near Khirbat Ibreika

Beneath the ancient dust of Khirbat Ibreika in southern Israel, archaeologists have unearthed an unexpected enigma: four bronze discs, each adorned with powerful lion head reliefs and accompanied by functional rings, carefully extracted from a tomb dating back to the first and second centuries CE of the Roman Empire.

Neanderthals made the oldest bone spear tip found in Europe

The 3.5-inch object was made between 80,000 and 70,000 years ago and was likely fashioned out of a bison bone.

Mass grave of Black Union soldiers slaughtered during the Civil War may lie under a Kentucky soybean field, high-tech scans reveal

Archaeologists have identified two potential mass graves of Black Union soldiers who were targeted by Confederate guerrillas in the Civil War.

2,000-year-old garlanded sarcophagus unearthed in "City of Gladiators"

A remarkably well-preserved, 2,000-year-old sarcophagus adorned with intricate garlands has been discovered during ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Stratonikeia, in southwestern Türkiye.

New evidence suggests Scots may have invented the game of soccer

In what may cause major ramifications for the history of sports, The Times reports that a team of researchers may have identified the world’s oldest known soccer field—not in England, where the “beautiful game” was purportedly invented in the mid-nineteenth century, but in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.

Numerous statue fragments unearthed at lost Apollo sanctuary in Cyprus

The Sanctuary of Apollo at Frangissa, located near ancient Tamassos and lost for approximately 140 years, has been rediscovered through recent excavations.

Archaeological project maps historic boat sheds on Isles of Scilly

An archaeological project has highlighted just how crucial the agile, tough “pilot gigs” were for islanders by mapping 90 sites of sheds that housed the boats, the earliest believed to date back to the 17th century.

Unique column capital depicting a menorah unveiled in Jerusalem

The carved limestone block was originally discovered in 2020 in a 6th- or 7th-century CE. Byzantine house during excavations in Motza, outside Jerusalem. Yet archaeologists believe that the capital is centuries older, likely dating to the second or third century, and had been subsequently moved to this location.

Museums

A temporary restraining order was issued by the U.S. District Court to block the Trump Administration‘s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Smithsonian Institution says it won’t remove anti-segregation exhibits

The Smithsonian Institution denied reports this morning, April 28, that its National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture intended to remove object displays documenting anti-segregation demonstrations during the Civil Rights Movement.

Vatican museums, including Sistine Chapel, closed indefinitely for conclave to elect the next pope

The Vatican Museums, which includes the Sistine Chapel, has been closed to the public as Vatican City prepares for the gathering of cardinals who will vote to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 28.

‘The eighth wonder of the world’: China’s terracotta warriors to march on Australia for blockbuster show

Perth will host huge exhibition of ancient treasures from first emperor’s tomb in June, with 40% of the artefacts leaving China for the first time ever

Trump fires Doug Emhoff and others from US Holocaust Memorial Council

Husband of Kamala Harris calls move political and decries turning historical atrocity into ‘a wedge issue’

Trump names eight new appointees to US Holocaust Memorial Museum board

Eight new appointees for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum board were announced by President Donald Trump in a social media post on Thursday night. These trustees will replace the board members appointed by former President Joe Biden that Trump removed just a few days ago.

Edward II’s coronation roll goes on display alongside King Charles’s

The two rolls, part of a tradition dating back at least seven centuries, are on public display for the first time in an exhibition at the National Archives that also includes works of art commissioned by the government to mark the coronation.

The Getty’s Provenance Index makes more than 12 million records publicly available

The Getty Provenance Index (GPI) initially launched in the 1980s to keep track of the ownership history of each artwork in the museum’s collection. Since then, it has become an integral part of the Getty’s research on provenance, collecting, and art markets. Today, the records included in the GPI extend well beyond the Getty itself.

Repatriation

Ancestral human remains taken by a "grave robber" and brought to Belfast almost 200 years ago have begun their journey back to Hawaii. The human remains were repatriated in an emotional ceremony held at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, attended by representatives from Hawaii.

A looted Greco-Roman statue goes on display before its return

After a months-long legal battle, the sculpture is on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art ahead of its repatriation to Turkey, with newly added context about its provenance.

Heritage at risk

Ignorance appears to be no barrier as Trump seeks to grasp control of the US’s historical narrative in the run-up to next year’s landmark celebration of the 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence, also known as the semiquincentennial. Under an executive order issued in January, the president has started to churn out his own approved version of US history that professional historians fear will resort to the tried and tested authoritarian playbook of airbrushing out inconvenient and inglorious chapters that do not align with his vision of American greatness.

Famed Memphis church associated with Martin Luther King damaged by fire

A fire has severely damaged the historic Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis, which is closely associated with the US civil rights movement and Dr Martin Luther King.

Odds and ends

Modern-day conclaves are steeped in mystery: cardinal electors swear an oath of secrecy – and so do the cooks, drivers, medics and others who support their deliberations. Before the conclave begins next week, the Sistine Chapel will be swept for electronic bugs, jamming devices will be installed, and special coatings will be placed on windows to stop laser scanners picking up anything audible. It wasn’t always this way: in the past, letters, diaries and other writings by cardinals and their attendants gave revealing accounts of what happened in the meetings convened in order to choose a pope.

How African popes changed Christianity - and gave us Valentine's Day

Now predominantly Muslim, North Africa was once a Christian heartland, producing Catholic popes who left their mark on the Church to this day.

The buried hoard: a story of treachery and greed

This is a story of treachery, secrecy and greed which led to two friends ending up in jail and a mystery about buried coins.

Pompeii aerial tour helicopters seized in safety investigation

Italian police have seized eight helicopters and are investigating four pilots associated with a company offering aerial tours of Pompeii’s archaeological ruins last week, alleging a laundry list of safety and operations violations.

Two men filmed felling of Sycamore Gap tree during ‘mindless’ act, court hears

Two men filmed themselves using a chainsaw to fell the famous Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall in an act of “mindless criminal damage”, a court has heard.

Titanic survivor's letter sold for £300,000 at auction

Colonel Archibald Gracie's letter was purchased by an anonymous buyer at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire on Sunday, at a price five times higher than the £60,000 it was expected to fetch.Colonel Archibald Gracie's letter was purchased by an anonymous buyer at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire on Sunday, at a price five times higher than the £60,000 it was expected to fetch.

How did Hitler’s film-maker hide her complicity from the world?

A new documentary delves into controversial German film-maker Leni Riefenstahl’s private archive to uncover a director who spent a lifetime covering up her central role in the Nazi propaganda machine

[1863-project]

when pope

[uispeccoll]

Charles M. Hagin, former researcher at the University of Iowa, described this "Strang Pope Book" in our collection as a "reader's digest of divinely inspired prophecies."

It was written around 1582-1585, and it's full of papal seals and illustrations of popes in prophetic visions. These prophecies use lots of symbolism in the images; one depicts a pope as a dragon on fire with a weasel swallowing a sword for a tail. The exact meaning of this is not explicit, but it's probably safe to assume that it wasn't very good; the caption reads "Terribilies es et quis resistet tibi," which Hagin translated as: "You are terrible and who will resist you?" That's not really an idea that readers would like to associate with a pope!

Find out more about this wonderful book by reading more of Charles Hagin's work in xMMs.Misc2 research material.

--Joy C.