Christians up close experience with the historical conclave in Rome!

Christians up close experience with the historical conclave in Rome!

Rom, Italien - On May 8, 2025, Christian Baron, the first mayor of Schwäbisch Gmünd, experienced the impressive atmosphere of the conclusion in Rome. In the middle of tens of thousands of creditors who gathered on St. Peter's Square, 133 cardinals chose Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new Pope Leo XIV Prevost is the first American to be elected to the highest office of the Catholic Church. Baron was already in Rome in Easter when Pope Francis died and remember his encounters with the late Pontifex, including at Urbi et Orbi and while driving in the papamobile.

The mayor had found a neighborhood near St. Peter's Square to pursue the events live during the conclusion. Although the cell phone reception was disturbed and the large screens were out of the first choice-as a black smoke, which signaled the failure of the choice-Baron could not compare the events other than with a World Cup football final. "This is historical," he noted and experienced the contemplative, contemplative side of the waiting for the smoke together with other people from all over the world.

tradition and rituals of the conclave

The conclave, the origin of which is in the 12th century, has a fascinating story. The term “conclave” comes from Latin and means “with the key”. Originally, the cardinals were enclosed in a room during the election to put them under pressure and to force a quick choice of a new Pope. The first documented integration took place in Perugia in 1216, followed by another in Rome in 1241. A crucial moment in the history of the compliance was the choice in Viterbo between 1268 and 1271, in which the cardinals were locked up by the population to force a choice.

Over the centuries, the procedure received numerous changes. In 1274 Gregor X. stated at a Council in Lyon that the electorate cardinals should always be included. Also the introduction of the two -thirds majority to avoid disputes over election results and the secret choice, which in 1621 by Gregor XV. has been introduced are important milestones. The electoral courses take place in the Sistine chapel, and the smoke sign that the public is informed was established in the 19th century.

In this traditional connection of faith and ritual, the choice of Cardinal Prevost as Pope Leo XIV was another significant step in the history of the Catholic Church. Baron, who in the past the elections of Pope Benedict XVI. And Pope Francis has experienced a clear connection between the enthusiasm for the conclave and the deep faith of the people who came to Rome from all over the world to be part of this crucial moment. Waiting for the smoke that symbolizes the result of the election remains a central element of this centuries -old tradition.

Baron will soon have to withdraw from Rome because he prepared for the mayor election in Schwäbisch Gmünd on May 11th. In his experiences in Rome, however, he not only finds historical importance, but also a new connection with the believers and a deeper insight into the liturgy of choice.