Word: basilicas
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Suddenly, more than an hour after the puzzling signals began to billow forth, the Vatican's Pericle Felici, ranking Cardinal-deacon in the Sacred College, appeared at the opened Window of the Benediction in the center of St. Peter's Basilica. His Latin words boomed out over loudspeakers: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus Papam!" (I announce to you a great joy. We have a Pope!) The crowd was hushed as Felici went on: "He is the Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Cardinal Albino Luciani, who has taken the name of John Paul the First [in Latin, Joannes Paulus Primus...
...Pope met the rising applause with a wave and a wide, yet almost shy smile. He withdrew, but three minutes later, at the insistence of the continuing applause, the new Pope appeared again. The 110 Cardinals, crowded together on the lateral loggias flanking the central balcony on the basilica façade, smiled happily. John Paul lifted his hands slowly in the papal gesture and smiled once again, this time more radiantly, less shyly...
...death (Aug. 6) and the beginning of the conclave (Aug. 25). The Cardinals had plenty of time to get together in small groups and large, conferring, trading intelligence, lobbying ever so discreetly. By last Friday, when they assembled at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, beneath Bernini's stained-glass window portraying the Holy Spirit as a white dove in a solid circle of gold, they had carefully weighed all the papabili (possible Popes). During a Mass celebrated in Latin, the Cardinals invoked divine guidance for the task ahead of them...
...next morning the balloting began, and as the basilica bells were still pealing the noontime Angelus, the first puff of smoke wafted from the chapel chimney: black. Nine minutes later, more black smoke billowed forth, then seemed to turn white, then black again. False alarm. After the morning's first two ballots, Vatican Radio announced, there was no decision...
...time each Cardinal-elector walks into St. Peter's Basilica for the pre-conclave Mass of the Holy Spirit this Friday, he will have taken two elaborate oaths of secrecy, one when he first joined the assembly of waiting Cardinals in Rome, another shortly before the conclave. Then, as the conclave begins, he will take a third oath along with his fellow Cardinals, pledging yet again to observe secrecy in any matter "pertaining to the election of the Roman Pontiff," under pain of excommunication...