Those gorgeous Italian red shoes

The conclave 

I don't profess to be a theologian. I have a complicated and confused faith.But I was raised in the Catholic church. I can make fun of it, but when I hear others make little of it, it makes me uncomfortable. The rituals of the church are ancient and the absolute beginning of the Christian faith as we know it. I love the rituals of my church. They bring me so much comfort. But this week I got annoyed when I saw the cardinals at the Vatican. The expensive cars, the vestments with genuine gold inlay and the finery. I do know that all priests and nuns profess a vow of poverty, when they enter the faith. The contradiction flew all over me (all of your Protestants please bite your tongue). My prayers today are for MY church to elect a man with true faith, that can administer the Vatican and help bring the ancient rituals into the 21 Century with grace and intelligence. 

Now I will tell you what I have recently learned about the conclave.

Conclave = Latin cum, with, and clavis, key; a place that may be securely closed.

There are 115 Cardinals who are eligible to vote from all around the world. Cardinals over the age of 80 are ineligible. Two Cardinals that were eligible but will not be voting — a seriously ill Indonesian cardinal and a Scottish cardinal who acknowledged sexually inappropriate conduct.

From the start of the conclave onward, the Cardinals are completely cut off from the outside world and stay inside a hostel within the Vatican. Voting takes place inside a locked Sistine Chapel. Tweets and texts will be completely banned (that is so comforting to know), and Cardinals are supposed to be completely cut off from the outside world — TV, radio, and newspapers are all banned.

Security at the Sisten Chapel will be tight. Sweeps are frequently done  for bugs or recording devices, and jamming devices will be used to detect any cellphones.The famed chimney was installed in the Sistine Chapel on Saturday.

After the first day, four ballots will be held each day, with the cardinals writing "Eligo in summen pontificem," or "I elect as supreme pontiff" and then the name. Ballots are then stuffed into an urn and counted.

A two-thirds plus one majority are required to elect the Pope.In the last few hundred years, the typical Conclave has lasted 2-4 days.

Three Cardinals delegated as Scrutineers count the ballots, to ensure everyone has voted

each make a count and then burn the ballots. The scrutineers douse

discarded ballots with chemicals to make the smoke black if there isn't a Pope, and make the smoke white in the event that "Habemus Papam".

Fit for a POPE

When we have a new Pope then he must be dressed as a Pope!!! Before the start of the conclave, multiple sized outfits will be delivered to the Vatican and left in a room next to the Sistine Chapel, where the newly elected pope changes into his new clothes.

Papal dress code: So what exactly does a pope wear?  The basic garment is the hand-stitched white wool cassock with white cape and wide silk sleeves. The cassock is fastened by 33 silk buttons recalling the years of the life of Christ, and is worn with a silk brocade sash with gold fringe. Later this sash will have the new pope’s papal seal embroidered on it. Over the cassock he will wear the classic burgundy red mozzetta, a short elbow-length cape worn by high prelates for formal occasions, and a gold embroidered stole.

The pope wears a white “zucchetto,” the beanie-like hat that bishops wear in purple and cardinals have in red.

Now the shoes…my favorite part!

Pope Benedict wore bright red shoes, which were made by Prada.  In fact, red shoes make up part of the traditional papal garb. Until the mid-1960s, popes wore red velvet slippers embroidered with a gold cross, and until not long before that people paid homage to the pope by kissing his slippered foot.

I love those red shoes…

So bear with me as I continue to share my feelings and thoughts about my church and my faith. I don't claim to the expert, just a very simple person looking for my way. 
 And a love of red shoes…..

But with all that being said I still believe, and have faith in my church and in my loving God.

"You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It never was between you and them anyway."  Mother Teresa