1958 conclave

Election of Catholic Pope John XXIII November 2019 October 1958 25–28 October 1958 Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace,Vatican City Eugène Tisserant Clemente Micara Benedetto Aloisi Masella Jozef-Ernest van Roey Nicola Canali Alberto di Jorio 51 (list) See it papabili 11 Angelo Roncalli John XXIII Pope John XXIII, 1958–1963 (3x4 cropped).jpg 1939 1939 conclave 1963 1963 conclave A conclave was held from 25 to 28 October 1958 to elect a pope to succeed Pius XII, who had died on 9 October 1958. Of the 53 members of the College of Cardinals, all but two attended.The current 80-year-old age limit for cardinal electors was introduced by Pope Paul VI in 1970. On the eleventh ballot, the conclave elected Cardinal Angelo Roncalli, the patriarch of Venice. After accepting his election, he took the name John XXIII. He was the second patriarch of Venice to be elected pope in the 20th century, after Pius X in the 1903 conclave. John XXIII's coronation took place on 4 November 1958. The communist governments of Hungary and Yugoslavia prevented Cardinals József Mindszenty and Aloysius Stepinac from traveling to Rome. In comparison with the 1922 conclave (when three cardinals failed to reach Rome in time when the conclave opened 10 days after the pope's death as required), or the 1939 conclave (when three cardinals reached Rome on the morning the conclave opened 18 days after the pope's death under new rules), all the cardinals who made the trip reached Rome by 22 October, with few days to spare before the conclave began 16 days after Pius XII's death.Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York, at sea en route to New York when Pius XII died, disembarked in the Azores and flew to RomeThe Papacy https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/12/91412210.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 12 October 1958 and then considered flying to New York and back in time for the start of the conclave.Cortesi Arnaldo Cardinals Visit Suites in Vatican https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/23/83420106.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 23 October 1958 For the first time, the speed of travel matched the internationalization of the College of Cardinals, thanks to advancements in air travel. As one newspaper put it, "The archbishop of New York can reach Rome today faster than the archbishop of Palermo did a generation ago."As the Catholic Church Prepares to Choose a New Leader https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/12/91412231.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 12 October 1958 This conclave included cardinals from 21 countries compared to 16 at the previous conclave, and 18 non-Europeans compared to seven.Cortesi Arnaldo Cardinals Meet in Secrecy Today https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/25/81891113.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 25 October 1958 The 17 Italians out of 51 represented their lowest percentage since 1455.Tobin Greg Selecting the Pope: Uncovering the Mysteries of Papal Elections 2009 Sterling Publishing 40 https://books.google.com/books?id=eBZFL5fzwawC&pg=PA40 7 November 2017 9781402729546 it Papabili Papabile The cardinals anticipated a long conclave.Election of Pope to Start Oct. 25 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/12/91411434.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 12 October 1958 There was no "dominating personality" as Pius XII had been in 1939, and the proverbial search for contrast ('fat pope, thin pope') suggested a "pastoral pope" to follow a "diplomatic pope".Cardinals Seek 'Pastoral Pope' to Succeed Pius https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/12/91411415.pdf 6 November 2017 Paul Hofmann The New York Times 12 October 1958 Another analysis set the likely age range between 55 and 70, with a preference for an Italian outside the Curia.Cortesi Arnaldo Papal Choice Guided by Custom and Chance https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/19/91414950.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 19 October 1958 Several it papabili were discussed. The conservative Giuseppe Siri of Genoa, supportive of the Vatican's centralization of authority, was only 52, and his election would have meant another long papacy like that of Pius IX. The liberal Giacomo Lercaro of Bologna, more disposed to granting independence to local authorities, was 67. Angelo Roncalli had become the patriarch of Venice after more than 25 years in the diplomatic service of the Holy See in Bulgaria, Turkey and France. Approaching 77, his age marked him as a possible compromise choice in expectation of a short pontificate, along with his "reputation for being broad-minded and conciliatory". He also represented a combination of diplomatic and pastoral experience.Hofmann Paul New Pontiff Faces Difficult Problems https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/29/82214806.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 29 October 1958 Gregorio Pietro Agagianian, the Catholic Armenian patriarch of Cilicia, had spent much of his adult life in Rome.Agagianian was a faculty member or administrator at several Roman institutions between 1921 and 1937, was named President of the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Code of Oriental Canon Law in 1955, and joined the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in 1958. He was relatively young at 63 and highly respected, but his non-Italian heritage would have made him a surprising choice. Other candidates mentioned were Ernesto Ruffini of Palermo and two Curia officials, Valerio Valeri and Alfredo Ottaviani. Benedetto Aloisi Masella, the 79-year-old veteran diplomat who was chosen as camerlengo on 9 October,Cardinals Name a Leader Pending Election of Pope; Rites for Pius Begin Today Arnaldo Cortesi https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/10/83418548.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 10 October 1958 was also mentioned as a compromise candidate with "his chances diminished because of his age".Cardinal Camerlengo https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/10/83418643.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 10 October 1958 Also mentioned, in a radical departure from tradition, was Giovanni Montini, the archbishop of Milan, whom Pius XII had not made a cardinal. The New York Times cast a wide net, offering more than a dozen names, including two non-Italians, Paul-Émile Léger of Montreal and Manuel Goncalves Cerejeira of Lisbon. Life magazine's coverage included portraits of Agagianian, Lercaro, Montini, Ottaviani, Roncalli, Ruffini, Siri, and Valeri.Life 15 December 2017 The Papacy's Task https://books.google.com/books?id=eT8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA140 140ff Emmet John Hughes Emmet John Hughes 20 October 1958 As the press speculated about interest in a transitional pope and possible discussions among the cardinal electors, the Vatican's mouthpiece, it L'Osservatore Romano denounced the "irresponsible lightness" with which the press approached the subject, especially its reports of electioneering.Vatican Assails Press Frivolity https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/18/91413708.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 18 October 1958 A Moscow radio broadcast criticized Pius XII for meddling in politics and hoped for a new pope that was devoted instead to the "religious problems".Cortesi Arnaldo Carinals Irked by Soviet Charge https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/21/81890207.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 21 October 1958 Betting establishments reported Roncalli was favored by their clients, given 2 to 1 odds.Baumgartner Frederic J. Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections 2003 Palgrave Macmillan 216 https://books.google.com/books?id=UzGEppDeP8gC&pg=PA216 6 November 2017 9780312294632 By the second day of the conclave, after four ballots produced no results, speculation centered on Roncalli, Valeri, Masella, and Agagianian, the first three elderly and the last an unlikely outsider.Hofmann Paul 4 are Leading Candidates, Sources at Vatican Believe https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/27/80785786.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 27 October 1958 Participants Pope Pius XII tried in the consistory of 1953 to bring the membership of the College of Cardinals to the maximum of 70, the limit established by Pope Sixtus V in the 16th century. On that occasion he named 24 cardinals.Cortesi Arnaldo 24 New Cardinals Named by Vatican; American Included https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1952/11/30/93592660.pdf 6 September 2017 The New York Times 30 November 1952 When one cardinal-designate, Carlo Agostini, died on 28 December at the age of 64,Msgr. Agostini, 64, Succumbs in Italy https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1952/12/28/93597776.pdf 6 September 2017 The New York Times 28 December 1952 the Vatican announced another cardinal designate the next day, Valerian Gracias of India, so the College reached its full complement of 70 members, with 26 of them Italian.Prelate in India to be a Cardinal https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1952/12/30/93598908.pdf 6 September 2017 The New York Times 30 December 1952 Deaths in the intervening five years, including those of Celso Costantini on 17 OctoberCardinal Costantini Dies in Rome Arnaldo Cortesi https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/18/91413673.pdf 5 November 2017 The New York Times 18 October 1958 and Edward Mooney of Detroit on 25 October just hours before the start of the conclave,Hofmann Paul Cardinal Mooney Dies in Rome at 76 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/26/91415662.pdf 5 November 2017 The New York Times 26 October 1958 had reduced the College to 53 members. József Mindszenty feared the Communist government of Hungary would not allow him to return if he attended the conclave,Mindszenty Will Stay UPI https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/09/81889142.pdf 5 November 2017 The New York Times 9 October 1958Mindszenty had been living in the U.S. Legation in Budapest since 4 November 1956. and government authorities refused to grant him safe conduct despite a request by the U.S. State Department at the request of the College of Cardinals.Schmidt Dana Adams Hungary Forbids Mindszenty Trip https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/23/83420068.pdf 5 November 2017 The New York Times 23 October 1958 Aloysius Stepinac was too ill to travel from Zagreb, and he was forbidden from leaving Yugoslavia as a condition of his release from prison in 1951.He had not come to Rome when he was made a cardinal in January 1953 for fear of not being allowed to return to Yugoslavia.Cortesi Arnaldo M'Intyre in Rome for Cardinal Rite https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1953/01/10/84385524.pdf 6 September 2017 The New York Times 10 January 1953 This reduced the number of attendees to 51, 15 of whom were in Rome on 9 October, 45 of whom were in or near Rome by 16 October.Oldest Cardinal Arrives in Rome https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/17/83419608.pdf 5 November 2017 The New York Times 16 October 1958 All 51 reached Rome by 22 October. Of the 51 electors who participated in the conclave, 17 were Italians.Cortesi Arnaldo Cardinals Allot Conclave Cells https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/21/81890207.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 22 October 1958 The required two-thirds plus one majority was 35 votes. Balloting The cardinals were required to set the starting date of the conclave between the 15th and 18th days following the death of the pope, no earlier than 24 October and no later than 27 October.Cardinals Rule; To Pick New Pope https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/09/81889033.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 9 October 1958 On 11 October, they set 25 October for its opening. The conclave was held from 25 to 28 October at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. The voting patterns during the conclave were hard to establish, but some information was consistently reported. Identified as a group with a particular interest, the French cardinals were thought to seek greater independence from Rome, and Stefan Wyszynski of Poland was thought to be their ally.Polish Cardinal Arrives in Rome https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/20/92652184.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 20 October 1958 Several of the French also knew that Roncalli, as nuncio in Paris, had been influential in the careers. Roncalli himself had learned that he had many supporters in conversations with other cardinals before the conclave began. One newspaper reported that Cardinal Pierre-Marie Gerlier of Lyon, asked whom the French cardinals supported as he entered the conclave, said "Roncalli". https://books.google.com/books?id=AT48-nPbbagC&pg=PA171 9 May 2018 My Struggle for Freedom: A Memoir Hans Küng 171 2002 William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company 9780826476388 Giovanni Montini (later Pope Paul VI), a longtime curia official who had recently become Archbishop of Milan, consistently received two votes even though he was not yet a cardinal.Walsh Michael The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History of Papal Elections 2003 Sheed & Ward 151 https://books.google.com/books?id=GOg_xLCvpn4C&pg=PA151 6 November 2017 9781461601814 The rules of Pius XII, which were published in 1945 (see Vatican website), ended the signatures and codes that were used in one form or another since paper ballots were first used in the 12th century to prevent anyone from casting the deciding vote for himself. The 1958 conclave was the first time in papal history where the written ballots were totally secret, containing only the name of the candidate for whom a vote was cast. There was no ballot on the first day. Four ballots on the second day proved inconclusive. Both times, the smoke signals that reported the results of the morning and afternoon ballots appeared white at first, leading to some excited false reports that the election was over.Cortesi Arnaldo Cardinals Ballot 4 Times, but Fail to Elect a Pope Twice during the day the famous chimney ... emitted dense black smoke.... Both signals gave the impression at first that a Pope had been elected.... The smoke that appeared shortly before noon appeared white at first and came in a thin stream.... A few minutes later, however, the smoke signal was repeated and this time it was unmistakably black. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/27/80785791.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 27 October 1958 The official responsible for arrangements outside the conclave notified the cardinals that the color of the smoke had been misread and provided them with "smoke torches from a fireworks factory". The third day's four ballots again failed to select a pope, and there was no confusion about the color of the smoke. Requests from a doctor inside the conclave for medical records suggested several cardinals were ill.Cortesi Arnaldo Voting for Pope Goes into 3d Day After 8 Ballots https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/28/82214133.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 28 October 1958 It took a few ballots for supporters of Lercaro, "who was known to favor a simplified liturgy in local languages", and "the aggressively sententious" Siri to recognize they could not garner the necessary 35 votes. The deadlock that then developed between Roncalli and Agagianian led Cardinal Eugène Tisserant, the dean of the College of Cardinals, to suggest Masella as a compromise candidate without success. Roncalli later said that his name and Agagianian's "went up and down like two chickpeas in boiling water".Hebblethwaite Peter John XXIII: Pope of the Century 1984 Continuum 141 https://books.google.com/books?id=m6fUAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA141 6 November 2017 9780860123873 Black smoke reported the ninth and tenth ballots were inconclusive on 28 October at 11:10am.Cahill Thomas Pope John XXIII: A Life 2008 Penguin Books https://books.google.com/books?id=hKVLFDoYe4oC&pg=PT146 7 November 2017 9781101202043 Roncalli accepted his election shortly before 5 pm on 28 October, the fourth day of the conclave and the third day of balloting, and white smoke signaled his election at 5:08 pm.Cortesi Arnaldo Cardinal Roncalli Elected Pope; Venetian, 76, Reighs as John XXIII; Thousands Hail Him at St. Peter's https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/29/82214794.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 29 October 1958 When asked what his name would be, he responded with his surprising choice of a name that had been avoided for centuries:Time http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938062-3,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20071013100349/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938062-3,00.html dead 13 October 2007 I Choose John... 10 November 1958Pope Tells Why He Chose Name https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/30/92653186.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 30 October 1958 https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/la/speeches/1958/documents/hf_j-xxiii_spe_19581028_accettazione-mandato.html 7 May 2018 28 October 1958 la Libreria Editrice Vaticana Discordo del Santo Padre Giovanni XXIII con il quale accetta il supremo mandato Remarks of Holy Father Pope John XXIII in accepting the highest mandate I will be called John. A name sweet to me because it is the name of my father, dear to me because it is the name of the humble parish church where I received baptism, the solemn name of numberless cathedrals scattered throughout the world, and in the first place of the most holy Lateran Church, Our Cathedral. A name that in the extremely ancient series of Roman Pontiffs has the primacy of plurality. Twenty-two Johns of indisputable legitimacy are numbered among the Supreme Pontiffs, and almost all had a brief pontificate. I have preferred to hide the smallness of my name behind this magnificent succession of Roman Pontiffs. An antipope had once used the name John XXIII during the Western Schism in the 15th century when three men claimed to be pope, but Roncalli's mention of 22 "of indisputable legitimacy" established that he wanted to be called John XXIII.Faggioli Massimo John XXIII: The Medicine of Mercy 2014 Liturgical Press 107 https://books.google.com/books?id=aLJiAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 5 November 2017 9780814649763 Some historians thought the question of the earlier John XXIII's legitimacy was unresolved, but Roncalli was less interested in ancient disputes than in the associations he had for the name John and a desire to break with the popes named Pius that preceded him.Küng Hans My Struggle for Freedom: A Memoir 2004 Continuum 172 https://books.google.com/books?id=AT48-nPbbagC&pg=PA172 5 November 2017 9780826476388"[N]either the Council of Constance (1412–15) nor Pope Martin V, chosen by the Council, later wanted to decide who had been pope in the decades of the schism." Later, he gave Cardinal Maurice Feltin of Paris another reason: "In memory of France and in the memory of John XXII, who continued the history of the papacy in France." Peter Hebblethwaite John XXIII, Pope of the Council rev Harper Collins Glasgow 1994 220 Following an old tradition, immediately after his election, Pope John XXIII gave his scarlet zucchetto to the secretary of the conclave, Alberto di Jorio. This indicated that John would include him when he first named cardinals.He was made a cardinal at John XXIII's first consistory in December 1958. Pius XI had done this in 1922; Pius XII had not in 1939. Nicola Canali announced the results of the election and Roncalli's choice of name. John XXIII appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and gave his blessing. At his request, the cardinals did not leave their enclosure but remained in the conclave overnight.Pope will assume his Office Today https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/29/82214963.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 29 October 1958 He joined the cardinals for dinner that evening but did not eat. The conclave ended the next day after a Mass in the Sistine Chapel and an address by John XXIII to the cardinals, which was broadcast on radio. He set the date of his coronation for 4 November, sooner than is traditional and on Tuesday rather than on the traditional Sunday, perhaps because it was the feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, whom Roncalli had made the subject of a five-volume study.Cortesi Arnaldo Pope Asks Rulers of World to Join in Seeking Peace https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/30/92653148.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 30 October 1958 He was reported to have expressed regret that he would "never again see Venice".Hofmann Paul Pope John Called Affable but Firm https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/10/30/92653194.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 30 October 1958Tearful Pontiff Voices Longing to See Home https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/11/05/83421240.pdf 6 November 2017 The New York Times 5 November 1958 Early reports said that Roncalli led in the balloting on the morning of the third day and then received almost unanimous support in that afternoon's single ballot. With the election of a 77-year-old, many churchmen interpreted the choice of Roncalli as picking a "pope of transition".August Franzen, Papstgeschichte, Herder Freiburg, 1988, 410. John XXIII himself said, when he took possession of the Lateran Basilica on 23 November 1958: "We do not have the right to see a long way ahead of us."Franzen 410 In early November, Pope John wrote letters to Mindszenty and Stepinac expressing regret that they were unable to participate in the conclave. Pope Writes to Mindszenty and Stepinac Lamenting Their Absence at His Election 5 November 2017 9 November 1958 The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/11/09/92655185.pdf On 17 November, he announced a consistory to create new cardinals on 15 December. Ignoring the longstanding maximum of 70 members, he increased the size of the College to 74 members. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/12/16/83430914.pdf The New York Times 25 October 2017 16 December 1958 Pope Elevates 23 to Cardinalate; Deplores China Church Schism Arnoldo CortesiIt would have had 75 members had not Cardinal José María Caro Rodríguez of Chile died between Pope John XXIII's announcement of new cardinals on 17 November and the consistory on 15 December. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/12/05/92661057.pdf The New York Times 25 October 2017 5 December 1958 Cardinal Caro is Dead in Chile Balloting reported by GreeleyAndrew M. Greeley The Making of the Popes 1978: The Politics of Intrigue in the Vatican https://archive.org/details/makingofpopes100gree registration 1979 Andrews McMeel Publishing 9780836231007 Ballot: 12345FinalAngelo Giuseppe Roncalli778152038Alfredo Ottaviani25816159Gregorio Pietro Agagianian131312861Ernesto Ruffini171715551Benedetto Aloisi Masella564321 Conspiracy theory Giuseppe Siri conspiracy theory Some Sedevacantists believed that Cardinal Siri was actually elected pope in the 1958 papal conclave on 26 October, taking the name of Gregory XVII, but his election was then suppressed, duress having been applied to him not to accept the papacy because he was a staunch anti-Communist and his election may have caused anti-Catholic turmoils in USSR-dominated Eastern Europe. This conspiracy theory is based entirely on the fact that some observers mistakenly thought they saw white smoke emitted from the Sistine Chapel prior to the final election (referred to above)September 2025. While Siri was a favourite for election before the conclave, he failed to secure enough votes once the conclave started.Roger Collins Keepers of the Keys of Heaven: A History of the Papacy https://books.google.com/books?id=C3qvU0-tatkC&pg=PT440 24 February 2009 Basic Books 978-0-7867-4418-3 440 New regulations John XXIII waited several years before issuing a motu proprio to modify certain aspects of the procedures for a papal conclave. In Summi Ponitificis electio, issued on 5 September 1962, he laid out additional rules for impressing all participants with the need for secrecy, even warning the cardinals about communications with their staff (paragraph XIV). His one practical modification reversed his predecessor: Pius XII had required a vote of two-thirds plus one for election; John XXIII returned the margin to two-thirds (paragraph XV).Pham John-Peter Heirs of the Fisherman: Behind the Scenes of Papal Death and Succession 2004 Oxford University Press 333–4 https://books.google.com/books?id=ahTU3koVfLEC&pg=PA333 25 November 2017 9780195346350 Pope John XXIII 25 November 2017 5 September 1962 Summi Ponitificis electio https://www.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/es/motu_proprio/documents/hf_j-xxiii_motu-proprio_19620905_summi-pontificis-electio.html es Libreria Editrice Vaticana Pope John XXIII 25 November 2017 5 September 1962 Summi Ponitificis electio https://www.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/es/motu_proprio/documents/hf_j-xxiii_motu-proprio_19620905_summi-pontificis-electio.html la Libreria Editrice Vaticana See also +Cardinal electors by regionRegionNumberItaly17Rest of Europe16North America4South America9Asia3Oceania1Africa1Total51 Cardinal electors for the 1958 conclave Notes References collapsed Catholic Church Christianity Vatican City 1950s y Biblical Studies/Christianity/Roman Catholicism/History y Category:Papal conclave y Category:Roman Catholic Church y Category:Popes y Category:Popes y Category:Christian History y Pope y Conclave Conclave Conclave Category:Elections in Vatican City Conclave 1958 Category:Pope John XXIII