Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 5/8/25
Topics include: 3 ballots, no pope (7:30 a.m. MST), Masses of mourning or papal auditions?, Cardinals already kicked the tires, & Scriptural roots of the papacy
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Today's sources are Aleteia, OSV, CNA, National Catholic Register, What We Need Now, The Pillar, John Eldredge, & Babylon Bee. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Aleteia
More black smoke: 3 ballots, no pope
By Christine Rousselle, May 8, 2025
The electors of the College of Cardinals did not elect a pope during their singular vote yesterday evening. They returned to the Sistine Chapel for the second day of deliberations and voting. Black smoke was spotted from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney before noon — somewhat earlier than estimated — meaning the 133 cardinal-electors did not elect a new pope on the third ballot. The cardinals now have about four hours for lunch and rest at the Santa Marta residence. Thus, the process for the next vote will start up again in about five hours. There is a decent chance the College of Cardinals could elect a pope today: Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI were elected on the second day of their respective conclave.
Catholic News Agency
Black smoke second time from Sistine Chapel Thursday morning
By AC Wimmer, May 8, 2025
Black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 11:51 am Rome time on Thursday, signaling that the cardinals voting at the conclave have not yet elected a new pope. The plume of dark smoke indicates that the 133 cardinal electors sequestered inside the chapel have not reached the required two-thirds majority — at least 89 votes — needed to elect a successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Thursday marks the second day of voting in the conclave, which began on the afternoon of May 7 with a first round of balloting that also produced black smoke. Thousands of faithful are gathered in St. Peter’s Square, hoping to witness history.
Crux
Conclave kicked off with unusually late first black smoke
By Elise Ann Allen, May 8, 2025
While the voting sessions usually last around an hour and a half to two hours, Wednesday’s first session was unusually long, with the chapel doors closing around 6p.m. local time, and the smoke not emerging from the chimney until 9:30, keeping the tens of thousands gathered below to see the smoke waiting. There were likely many reasons for the delay, including the fact that before voting began, former papal preacher Italian Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, 90, gave a reflection to cardinals that lasted around 45 minutes. Afterward, there was presumably an explanation of the voting process for cardinals unfamiliar with the process, and potentially in different languages.
Our Sunday Visitor
Masses of mourning Pope Francis or papal auditions?
By Michael R. Heinlein, May 7, 2025
Ahead of the conclave, there are many ways in which papal candidates can be surfaced, discussed and scrutinized. One, however, is the novendiali, the recently completed nine Masses, offered for as many consecutive days, in suffrage for the deceased pope. While each of the memorial Masses is intended for specific constituencies of Vatican and wider ecclesial life — to provide them and all of us another opportunity to pray for the soul of Pope Francis — it doesn’t go unnoticed that the novendiali also can be used to showcase the presiding cardinals — what is their “ars celebrandi,” or their manner of celebrating the Mass? What do they say about the past pontificate? What do they say about where the church should go next?
National Catholic Register
Cardinal Czerny furor: Comments on a potential African pope
By Edward Pentin, May 6, 2025
Pope Francis’ former point man on migrants has drawn criticism by saying in an article published Sunday that some African cardinals make him “shudder” and that he believes “conservatives” are calling for an African pope to further their agenda. Cardinal Michael Czerny, a Jesuit who served as prefect at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in the last years of Pope Francis’ pontificate, made the derisive comments to The New York Times in the context of the African continent being deeply opposed to the LGBTQ agenda. “I can think of some African cardinals — they make me shudder,” Cardinal Czerny said in the article published May 4. When the newspaper asked whether conservative Catholics were rallying behind an African pope as a “Trojan horse” to further their agenda, Cardinal Czerny replied: “Certainly, certainly, certainly, and that’s why it’s so, so, so stupid to say things like Africa’s time has come.”
The Pillar
Cardinals kicked the tires on most-discussed front-runners
By JD Flynn, May 4, 2025
Parolin and Tagle come under the microscope. Will their chances survive? By conventional wisdom, at the top of the heap are Cardinals Pietro Parolin and Luis Tagle, both Curial officials who are seen as known commodities — and thus steady hands at the tiller — by the far-flung members of the College of Cardinals. But some of The Pillar’s sources close to the general congregations of cardinals say that cardinals at all stops of the body’s theological spectrum are uncertain about how they’ll cast their initial votes, and the race remains more open than most media accounts would frame it. There are probably five or six cardinals who will garner early support, including the Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdö and the emerging support for American Cardinal Robert Prevost, who reportedly now includes the influential Honduran Cardinal Óscar Maradiaga among his supporters
CatholicVote
The Scriptural roots of the papacy
By McKenna Snow, May 8, 2025
The passage in Matthew when Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of Heaven is frequently mentioned when Catholics cite where the papacy is found in Scripture, but there are other instances in both the Old and New Testaments that prove the Church’s leader‘s role is biblically based, a priest and Rome-based theology professor explained in a recent interview with CatholicVote. “When we think about the origin of the papacy, I think we have to be careful not to imagine that it was brought out of nothing in the times of Christ,” Father Andrew Dalton, L.C., a professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, said in a May 1 phone interview. “Rather, Jesus is restoring a Davidic kingdom; a kingdom that already exists, it was promised to Abraham, it was established in David.”
Tradition and Sanity
Does the Holy Spirit ‘Pick the Pope’?
By Dr. Kwasniewski, May 7, 2025
In the weeks around any Conclave that will elect a new pope, one will hear well-meaning people say things like “the Holy Spirit chooses the pope” and “the cardinals are guided by the Holy Spirit.” This, however, is poor theology; what is more, it is dangerous theology, for the reasons I will explore in today’s essay, drawing on the work of saints and scholars who have paid close attention to this vitally important subject. Certainly, we may hope and we must pray that the cardinals will allow themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit whom they solemnly invoke, but they are not puppets pulled by divine strings, and, as history shows, they can sin repeatedly against the light— even if they cannot ultimately prevail against Providence. The same is true for Ecumenical Councils and for the non-infallible decisions of popes.
CatholicVote, CNA & Satire for 5/8/2025
CatholicVote - The Loop
Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news that seek “to renew our country and culture.” CatholicVote’s advertised mission is “To inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.”
GOV YOUNGKIN VETOES TWO PRO-CONTRACEPTION LAWS - Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed two legislative packages May 2 that would have established a “right to contraception” in the state and forced insurance companies to cover contraception without exceptions for religious organizations.
MONTANA GUV SIGNS LAW TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed legislation May 1 that protects families and faith-based adoption and foster care providers from government discrimination based on their religious or moral beliefs.
PROPUBLICA WINS PULITZER FOR PRO-ABORTION STORY - ProPublica has received a 2025 Pulitzer Prize for a report critics say falsely blamed a Georgia woman’s death on pro-life legislation — despite evidence that her fatal complications stemmed from the abortion pill.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — May 8, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See to anyone with access to the internet.
No pasta carbonara or hard liquor on cardinals’ conclave menu- May 8, 2025 - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - Nutritionist Giorgio Calabrese, an Italian doctor who specializes in nutritional science, prepared the menu for the cardinal electors.
The 5 cardinal electors with the most conclave experience - May 7, 2025 - By Hannah Brockhaus - Four electors — Cardinals Peter Turkson, Philippe Barbarin, Péter Erdő, and Josip Bozanić — became members of the College of Cardinals in 2003 and have participated in two conclaves before this one.
Convention of Catholic scientists looks at human origins, Eucharistic miracles, and more - May 7, 2025 - By Jonah McKeown - The 2025 Conference of the Society of Catholic Scientists will take place June 6–8 at The Catholic University of America.
Babylon Bee’s (Satire) News
Study Finds 100% Of Men Would Eat Any Fruit Given To Them By A Naked Woman
By Theology Staff, March 7, 2022
A double-blind study conducted by angel scientists confirmed that 100% of men would eat any fruit given to them by a naked woman. The study seems to suggest that the fall of Adam and Eve was unavoidable. "Our results were conclusive," said the angel Gabriel, who led the study. "Of the 30,000 male test subjects we studied, we found literally 100% of them would happily accept and eat any piece of fruit handed to them by a woman who was naked. Even in cases where it wasn't fruit, or even edible, all the males gratefully accepted every single object offered and ate it with a dumb look on their face." Gabriel then motioned to a male test subject on the other side of the glass as he happily chewed on a rubber ball that had just been handed to him by a gorgeous unclothed woman. "See what I mean?"
Nutshell reflections for 5/8/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO & VIDEO - May 8, 2025
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
What We Need Now
Teaching authority of the Prince of the Apostles
By Reverend Peter M. J. Stravinskas, May 6, 2025
In ancient times, the chair was a sign of authority to teach authoritatively. Hence, in Matthew’s Gospel we are reminded by Our Lord that “the scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you” (23:2). Unfortunately, Jesus has to go on to admonish His disciples not to follow the example of these official teachers within the Judaism of His day. In the Early Church this symbolism was so connected to the chair, cathedra in both Greek and Latin, that the magisterial chair in the bishop’s church gave the name to the entire edifice—cathedral. Our consideration is even more specific, in that it is grounded in the teaching authority of the Prince of the Apostles, St. Peter, and invites us to reflect on the Petrine office in the Church today. It is fair to say that the ministry of Peter’s successor is intended to be, first and foremost, a work of preserving unity.
Our Sunday Visitor
Powerful, patient prayer works too well
By Lindsay Schlegel, May 7, 2025
I’d only been praying the Litany of Humility for a week or so when I realized this particular prayer needed to come with a warning label. I’d forgotten how challenging growing in virtue can be, and that once you begin to pray for something like increased hope, joy, patience, or peace, God will soon answer with opportunities to do just that. And let me tell you, those growing pains can be rough. For God, there is no comparison to make between souls. Each of us has our vocation, our own path to holiness. If we can stay on that track or at least quickly get back on it when we inevitably fall off, we can have hope of eternal life with our Savior, which is precisely what we were made for.
Catholic Culture
Probably good to prepare for a bad pope
By Thomas V. Mirus, May 5, 2025
Asked in 1997 whether the Holy Spirit is responsible for the election of a pope, Joseph Ratzinger said: I would not say so, in the sense that the Holy Spirit picks out the pope… I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us. Thus the Spirit’s role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote. Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined… There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit obviously would not have picked!
Wild at Heart
Remember the Epic we are created for
By John Eldredge, May 8, 2025
We are living somewhere toward the end of Act Three. We have a future, but this tale is not over yet — not by a long shot. We now live between the battle for Helm’s Deep and the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Between the beaches of Normandy and the end of the war. Between the fall of the Republic and the fall of the Empire. Between Paradise lost and Paradise regained. We live in a far more dramatic, far more dangerous Story than we ever imagined. The reason we love The Chronicles of Narnia or Star Wars or The Matrix or The Lord of the Rings is because they are telling us something about our lives that we never, ever get on the evening news. Or from most pulpits. They are reminding us of the Epic we are created for.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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