Apostolica Sedes Vacans…

We are now in the state of the Catholic Church called “sede vacante“… describing the fact that the See (of Rome) is empty.  The Latin “sede vacante” is ablative, describing existing circumstances in a larger context.  Otherwise we refer to the Empty Apostolic See or Apostolica Sedes Vacans.

The Vatican website was immediately updated to reflect this state:

My friend the great Roman Fabrizio sent a text to my mobile phone:

“Fugite partes adversae!”

To which I responded:

“Vicit Leo de tribu Iuda!”

Will the next Pope be a “Leo”?

 

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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29 Comments

  1. Hidden One says:

    Surely he will be a leo if not a Leo.

  2. JacobWall says:

    I took the last hour to pray. I noticed that on the Vatican page, there is a 62-page online book with photos of Benedict XVI, and a text written by him.
    http://www.vatican.va/bxvi/omaggio/index_en.html
    Was this newly added just now, or was that there before?

  3. I’d like a return to Leo.

  4. Pingback: Apostolica Sedes Vacans | O Salutaris Hostia

  5. Tim Ferguson says:

    perhaps a Leo from a rich land, with a priestly coeur de la crosse, the piety of a St. Louis, and a thirst for justice as his personal and apostolic signature?

  6. Philangelus says:

    If the Holy Spirit chooses a Leo, I’m all for it. Him. Whatever. :-)

    It occurs to me that maybe our times are so difficult, spiritually, that we need two popes praying for us — one the Pontiff of Rome and the other the Pope Emeritus.

  7. Joe in Canada says:

    A Lion or a Rock would be fine!

  8. Tony from Oz says:

    So THAT’s why you omitted to include the name Leo amongst the potential papal names proffered in your poll.

    Very droll!

  9. Pingback: Sede Vacante Begins | Big Pulpit

  10. happyCatholic says:

    Tim, you are reading my secret hope, too. And I have not even seen him listed as a dark horse — even better I think!

  11. Tony from Oz says:

    Excellent choice though, Fr Z – although it did force me to vote for Gregory!

  12. NBW says:

    It’s eerie to see “Apostolica Sede Vacans” on the Vatican website.

  13. Here here for ‘Leo XIV!’

  14. acricketchirps says:

    A Leo would be great, but I’d lose a ten-spot. I drew Sagittarius in the office pool.

  15. Diane at Te Deum Laudamus says:

    The @Pontifex Twitter accounts are also showing the vacancy. No tweets. Now we know what happens to the Papal Twitter account when we have sede vacante

    I hope someone snipped a copy of his last tweet this morning.

  16. Johnno says:

    I’m personally hoping for a Pope Urban IX. We need to launch another Crusade.

  17. Therese says:

    I was having trouble deciding which cardinal to pray for during the conclave, until I read this post.

  18. jessicahoff says:

    I pray for the Conclave to be open to the workings of the Spirit.

  19. Admiral-GER says:

    What name? I can’t tell.

    But he will be “Petrus Romanus”.

  20. Tom in NY says:

    Ad jucundum:
    Sede vacante, oportet non pipilare.

    Salutationes omnibus.

  21. McCall1981 says:

    Has Fr. Z commented at all on who he thinks will be the next Pope?

  22. Rushintuit says:

    The Italian TV feed showing Pope Benedict’s helicopter flying past St Peter’s dome, over the Forum and Coliseum, then past St John Lateran, was fantastic!

  23. Tom in NY says:

    Quaeritur:
    Si leo vincat, septem signacula et librum aperiat?

  24. Giuseppe says:

    I wanted Leo also in the poll. Not sure why that had been omitted.

    I gave up betting for Lent, and I know this is not a popular pick, but I really do believe that Cardinal O’Malley of Boston will be the next pope. No one has dealt with the scourge of sexual abuse better than he. He is a holy man. Not the most charismatic, that’s for sure, and not particularly TLM friendly. Not a particularly good administrator. Closing every other parish, etc. He’ll need a good right-hand man to be his administrator. But he will be the next pope. Name — he’d want John XXIV, his Christian name (Sean), but he will take the name Pope Francis I.

    Again, this is a prediction, not a wish.

  25. The Masked Chicken says:

    The official sign for the sede vecante looks like the Papal symbols are riding a merry-go-round.

    The Chicken

  26. jhayes says:

    Giuseppe wrote (about cardinal O’Malley)

    he’d want John XXIV, his Christian name (Sean), but he will take the name Pope Francis I”

    According to Wikipedia, he was christened as Patrick O’Malley – so he could be Pope Patrick

    He’d be the first , so he wouldn’t need a number.

    There would be parties in Dublin.

  27. Legisperitus says:

    The emblem of Sri Lanka is a lion with a sword.

  28. Minnesotan from Florida says:

    I agree with jhayes that a Patrick, being the first, would not need a number, but everyone referred to Albino Luciani as John Paul I (i.e., during those few weeks as well as afterwards). I could never understand why.

  29. Matt R says:

    Minnesotan from Florida, it was at John Paul I’s request that his name be followed by the number, so that there would be no confusion; he thought people would reject the double name, or think he was a) John XXIV or b) Paul VII for some reason. Of course, when John Paul II became Pope, the number was necessary for both.

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