Tensions were simmering between the cardinals who will selectPope Francis’ successor scarcely hours after his death as a meeting was hastily convened before most had arrived at the Vatican.
While outwardly it appeared to be a formality to arrange the details for Saturday’s funeral, for cardinals who know the power of a hushed word it was seen as a ‘violation’ of their rights.
The death of the Pope on Easter Monday began a power struggle between liberals, many of whom are loyal to Francis, and conservatives loyal to the traditions of the Church.
In the coming days a battle will take place to control the direction of the Holy See for the next decade or more and guide the souls of its billion-plus adherents around the world.
On Monday night one of the most respected cardinals, former Bishop of Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, challenged the College of Cardinals on its decision to hold its first meeting on Tuesday morning before most had arrived.
The 93-year-old wrote: ‘Cardinal Zen would like to know why the first session of the General Congregations has to start so early. How are the old men from the peripheries supposed to arrive on time?
‘There is the kind word [in the letter inviting cardinals to the meeting] reminding them that they are not obliged to attend, but do they have the right to do so - yes or no?’
Only about sixty cardinals - or less than a quarter - were in Rome and able to attend the first meeting of the Church’s most senior clerics yesterday, according to the Vatican news agency.
Cardinals at morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, in 2005 before sequestering themselves in the Sistine Chapel for the beginning of the conclave to elect a new pope
The election of a new Pope is the most secretive democratic process in the world, conducted by 135 cardinals behind closed doors
The letter from Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re inviting cardinals around the world to gather in Rome for their first meeting since the death of Pope Francis
The rules of the ancient and secretive process that selects the next pope, known as the conclave, state that only 135 of the 252 cardinals will be able to vote as no cardinals over the age of 80 can participate in the secret ballot.
However this means that the older - and often most influential - cardinals have to do their dealmaking before the process even begins at pre-conclave meetings at which cardinals ineligible to vote can advise the electors.
Voting cardinals take an oath of secrecy and are isolated from the outside world for the duration of the conclave which starts between 15 and 20 days after the death of the Pope. This means that, until then, every day is pivotal for those older cardinals to wield their influence.
This ‘highly political process’ will be familiar to anybody who has seen the award-winning film Conclave, starring actor Ralph Fiennes.
One possible reason for Cardinal Zen’s frustration at not being present in the Vatican is his evident dislike of one of the favourites to succeed Francis.
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the Vatican’s secretary of state, or highest-ranking diplomat, who is a favourite among bookmakers. Cardinal Parolin, a lifelong diplomat, is seen as a moderate, unifying figure by some but is disliked by others.
In 2018 Cardinal Zen publicly accused Cardinal Parolin of having ‘a poisoned mind’ and said: ‘He is very sweet, but I have no trust in this person.’
In 2020 he went further, accusing him of lying and adding that the Pope was being manipulated by ‘the Most Eminent Parolin and his henchmen’.
The genesis of their fallout appears to relate to a controversial 2018 deal between Beijing and the Vatican - which Cardinal Parolin played a key role in - to restore diplomatic ties after China broke off relations in 1951.
Under the deal, the Vatican ceded control over the appointment of Chinese Catholic bishops to the Chinese Communist party (CCP), thus granting Beijing more control over churches in China and more power in the Vatican. This was extended in November last year.
Cardinal Zen, who was arrested under the Beijing-imposed national security law in Hong Kong 2022, criticised the deal and said the Vatican was ‘selling out’ the Catholic Church in China.
On Monday the first congregation of cardinals was called by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, who is responsible for summoning a conclave.
Cardinal Re, who is 91 and thus unable to vote in conclave, was due to step down in February but Francis renewed his tenure indefinitely.
Had he stepped down, his position would have been assumed by Cardinal Parolin, who would have become both Secretary of State and Dean of the Vatican, so the move was seen by some as the Pope blocking this to sideline Cardinal Parolin.
While the murky world of internal Vatican politics is often unclear, what is for sure is that Francis infuriated conservative and traditionalist Catholics with his softer stance on women in the Church, LGBT+ rights and the Church’s stance on divorced and remarried Catholics.
However he also disappointed some progressives within the Church, who wanted him to go further and faster.
Ralph Fiennes in the film Conclave, which with uncanny timing is up for an Oscar as the real thing takes place
Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former Bishop of Hong Kong, challenged the College of Cardinals on its decision to hold its first meeting on Tuesday morning before most cardinals had arrived in Rome
Cardinal Parolin has worked closely with Pope Francis but has upset some with his views on China
In his final years Francis shaped the makeup of the cardinal electors who will appoint his successor, which may have a large bearing on who will become the next Pope.
Of the 135 members of the College of Cardinals eligible to vote, 80 per cent were appointed by Francis, 16.3 per cent were appointed by Pope Benedict, and only 3.7 per cent were appointed by Pope John Paul II.
The countries they come from could also dictate the result too. Francis wanted the Church to have a less euro-centric image to reflect the fact that almost 70 per cent of Catholic Christians live in the developing world.
Under Francis the proportion of cardinals from Africa, Asia, and Latin America has increased from 36.5 per cent in 2013 to more than 50 per cent now.
Among the favourites to replace Francis are Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, from the Philippines, who would become the first Asian Pope. Or Cardinal Peter Turkson, from Ghana, who would be the first Black Pope.
