John Paul II
Universe Dominici Gregis (NL: The Whole Herd of the Lord) is an apostolic constitution issued on 22 February 1996 by Pope John Paul II, which relates to the election process of the pope. The constitution builds on a former Pope Paul VI (Romano Pontifici Eligendo) and contains further guidelines for both the period of sedation and the organization of the conclave. The name is, as is the case with encyclics, derived from its first words:
All of the flock Pastor is the Bishop of the Church, where the Blessed Apostle Peter, by divine providence, Christ by the shedding of his martyrdom.
The shepherd of the whole herd of the Lord is the bishop of the church of Rome, where the Blessed Apostle Peter has offered the ultimate sign of his martyrdom through the High Council Decree of Divine Providence to Christ, by shedding his blood
To a large extent, the constitution confirms what was already determined by Paul. Thus, the provision consisted that cardinals over the age of eighty could not participate in the conclave, "not to the burden of old age, the responsibility for choosing the one to lead the flock of Christ in accordance with the requirements of time "It is also determined that the number of electoral cardinals may not exceed 120. For the first time it is stated that - during the conclave - there may be only four votes a day (two in the morning and two in the afternoon ). The constitution also gives permission to choose a pope with a simple majority after 33 polls, instead of the two-thirds of the votes required. This last provision was reversed by Pope Benedict XVI in Motu proprio.
By far the most important changes compared to previous elections, the new provision concerned the sleeping quarters of the electoral cardinals. Previously it was common for the cardinals to sleep in small, uncomfortable cells that were built in the vicinity of the Sistine Chapel for the duration of the conclave. Pope John Paul II specially built an apartment complex, the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Finally, the constitution allowed the way for a more contemporary fulfillment of the new pope's intronization. Pope John Paul In a John Paul II had all his own movement apart from the traditional coronation with the tiara, in this constitution, the newly chosen pope was released to choose for a suitable form. Indeed, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis were not crowned, neither as their two immediate predecessors.
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