If God works in mysterious ways, then the Vatican has long been meticulous about following His example.
The Holy See’s
pronouncements on Catholic doctrine claim the missile-like clarity of
truth. But its politics and workings are monuments to obscurity.
Centuries of secrecy
and intrigue turn even the most historic events into exercises in
uncertainty. On Monday, when Pope Benedict made one of the biggest
Vatican announcements in 600 years — his resignation — he did it
exclusively in Latin, a dead language only one journalist in attendance
understood.
Don’t expect more clarity when cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel to secretly vote for a new pope.
After each vote,
chemicals will be used to turn smoke from a small rooftop chimney black,
the signal of voting deadlock, or white, the fumes of success. In 2005,
when German Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI,
the smoke came out grey, leaving tens of thousands in St. Peter’s Square
baffled for minutes.
