Conclave ndi mbindikiro wa ma Kadinala (Cardinal) komwe Papa watsopano amasankidwa. Conclave imachitika mu tchalichi lochedwa Sistine Chapel ndipo ndi mbindikiro chifukwa chakuti ma Kadinala amatsekeledwa – cum calve – mu tchalichimo kuti asakumane ndi anthu ena apadera.
Dzina la tchalichi cha Sistine inachokera kwa Papa Sixtus wachinayi (Pope Sixtus IV), amene dzina lake lenileni linali Francesco della Rovere, chifukwa ndi amene anakhazikitsa tchalichilo.
Domus Santae Marthae (Santa Martha House) ndi malo omwe ma Kadinala amakhala pa nthawi ya mbindikiro wa Conclave. Papa Yohane Paulo wachiwiri analamula kuti Casa di Santa Marta (hotela komwa ma Cardinal amagonamo) ikhale mbali imodzi ya malo a mbindikiro kapena kunena kuti malo omwe kumakhala ma Kadinala okha nthawi ya Conclave. Asanakhazikitse malowa, kuyambira nthawi ya chaka 1400 ma Kadinala amakhala muzipinda mbalimbali mwa tchalichi chaSistine. Pena zipinda zake sizinali zabwino chifukwa zinalibe malo osambira.
Pa nthawi imene kulibe Conclave nyumbayi imagwira ntchito ngati hotela ya anthu amene akudzagwira ntchito ku Vatican. Nyumbayi ili ndi zipinda zazikulu zokwana 106, zipinda zogona munthu mmodzi zilipo 22 ndiponso pali chipinda chimodzi chokhala ndi zipinda zina zingapo mkati mwake (apartment).
Kuwonjezera pa ma Kadinala, mu nyumbayi mumakhalanso Mlembi wa ma Kadinala (secretary to the College of Cardinals), mkulu woyendetsa mwambo wosankha Papa (Master of Ceremonies), ansembe angapo odziwa zilankhula zikuluzikulu za dziko lonse opereka sacramenti yakulapa, ma Dotolo awiri komanso anchito asamala mnymumbamo ndi ophika.
Popita ku Sistine Chapel ma Kadinala amatha kuyenda pansi kapena kukwera minibus.
Ikakwana nthawi yosankha Papa, ma Kadinala onse amalowa mu Sistine Chapel pa mdipidi komwa amakhala ndi mwambo wa misa ndi mapemphero ena. Kenaka ma Kadinala onse opitirira zaka 80 amatuluka ndipo Cardinal Deacon (Cardinal wamkulu) amatseka pa khomo la tchalichicho ndi loko.
Asilikali otchedwa Pontifical Swiss Guard ndiwo amalondera pakhomopo. Asilikaliwa alipo okwana azibambo 110 ndipo nthcito yawo ndi kulondera Papa ndipo kukhazikitsa bata ndi mtendere ku Vatican. Uniform ya asilikaliwa ndi ya mtundu wa blue, red ndi orange ndipo inapangidwa ndi Commandant Jules Repond mu chaka cha 1914 ngakhala pena zimaveka kuti anapanga ndi mkulu wina waluso Michelangelo. Michelangelo ndi katswiri amene anajambula chithunzi chokongola cha ‘Chigamulo Chomaliza’ (Last Judgement) mkati mwa Sistine Chapel.
Ma Kadinala amene sanafika zaka 80 ndiwo amaloledwa kusankha Papa watsopano ndipo ma Kadinala oterewa asapitirire 120. Ma Kadinala amene zaka zawo zapitirira 80 ntchito yawo ndi kupereka uphungu kumayambiriro a Conclave. Panopa ma Kadinala osankha Papa (Cardinal Electors) alipo okwana 135 (analipo 115 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis mu chaka cha 2013).
Pa ma Kadinala 135 awa 53 (32 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis) aku maiko ena aku Europe, 16 (20 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis) aku mpoto ndi pakati kwa America (North and Central America), 17 (13 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis) aku mwera kwa America (South America), 18 (11 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis) aku Africa ndipo 27 (11 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis) aku Asia ndi Oceania (Australia, New Zealand ndi maiko akumwera kwa Asia. Mu Africa muno Ivory Coast ili ndi ma Kadinala osankhapa Papa awiri (Nigeria inali ndi awiri pa chisankho cha Papa Francis) ndipo maiko a Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan ndi Tanzania ali ndi Kadinala mmodzi mmodzi wothakusankha Papa. Maiko amene ali ndi ma Kadinala ambiri osankha Papa ndi aItaly okwana 17 (28 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis), United States okwana 11 (10 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis) ndiponso Brazil okwana 7 (5 pa chisankho cha Papa Francis).
College of Cardinals ndi gulu la ma cardinal onse. Ma Kadinala alipo magulu atatu: Gulu loyamba ndi limatchedwa gulu la ma Bishopu. Mu gulu ili mulinso ma Kadinala amene papa amawapatsanso udindo woyang’anira chigawo china cha Mpingo chomwe chachita malire ndi dayosezi ya a Papa ndiye kuti dayosezi ya Roma (title of a suburbicarian Church). Komanso mu gulu lomweli mulinso ma Kadinala onse amene anasankhidwa kukhala Kadinala pamene anali kusenza udindo wa u Patriaki (Eastern Rite Patricahs). Gulu lachiwiri la ma kadinala limatchedwa gulu la Ansembe (Order of Priests) ndipo gulu lachitatu limatchedwa gulu la ma Dikoni (Order of Deacons).
Ngakhale kuti mu zaka zikwizikwi omwe amasankhidwa Papa amakhala kuti anali Kadinala, lamulo limati mzibambo aliyense wa Katolika, wobatizidwa ndi wopanda mlandu woletsa akhoza kusankidwa Papa. Ngati munthu wasankhidwayo sali Bishopu, lamulo la Ordo Ritumn Conclavis limati adzodzedwa kaye kukhala Bishopu asanamuveke uPapa.
Mu Sistine Chapel muli mipando 135 imene imalembedwa dzina la Kadinala amene atakhalepo. Pa nthawi yosankha Papa pamakhala voti ya chinsisi. Kuti izi zitheke, ma Kadinala atatu amasankhidwa kuti akhale ma Scrutineers (owonetsetsa kuti dongosolo likuyenda bwino), enanso atatu otolera ma pepala avoti ndipo enanso atatu otchedwa ma Revisers (owerengera ma voti). Maina a ma Kadinala 9 amenewa amasankhidwa ndi Cardinal Deacon potola ma pepala pamene maine onse ama bishop alembedwapo.
Munthu amene wasankhidwa kukhala Papa amayenera kulandira mavoti okwanira 66 pa ma voti 100 aliwonse (kapena kuti two-thirds). Pakadutsa masiku anayi (4) popanda kusankha Papa watsopano, pa tsiku lachisano (5) ma Kadinala onse amapumira voti ndi kupemphera, kucheza momasuka ndi ma Kadinala anzawo ndiponso kumvetsera uphungu wa Kadinala wamkulu wa gulu la ma Dikoni (Order of Deacons). Tsiku la 6 amaponyanso voti masiku ena awiri ndipo akalephera kusankhabe Papa pofika tsiku la 7 amapumiranso tsiku la 8 ndikupemphera mpakana atafika pa voti la 34 pa tsiku la khumi ndi limodzi (11). Ngati voti ya nambala 34 palibe munthu amene wasankhidwa kukhala Papa, ma Kadinala awiri amene apeza ma voti otchuluka ndiwo amene ma Kadinala ena onse ayenera kusankhapo mmodzi. Ma Kadinala awiriwa sayenera kutengapo mbali pa voti imeneyi.
Voti yachinsisi inayambitsidwa mu chaka cha 1621 ndi Papa Gregory wa 15. Izi zinachitika kuti posankha Papa, ma Kadinala asakhale pa mpanipani kusankha nzawo ndiponso asankhe mwamtendere. Lumbiro limene ma Kadinala osankha Papa amachita limatchedwa “Secundum Deum” (malinga ndi chifuniro cha Mulungu – according to God). Lumbiro limeneli ndi lofanana ndi limene amachita asanayambe kuponya voti.
Ma Kadinala amalemba munthu amene akufuna kuti akhale Papa pa pepala. Pepalayi pa mutu pake pamalembedwa kuti “Eligo in Summum Ponteficem” (ndasankha dzina ili ngati Papa – I elect as supreme pontiff). Polemba chisankho chawocho, ma Kadinala amayesetsa kusintha kalembedwe kawo kuti ma Kadinala owerengera ma voti asadziwe kuti waponya voti imeneyo ndi ndani.
Ma Kadinala akasankha Papa watsopano, Kadinala wamkulu (Cardinal Deacon) amamufunsa munthu wosankhidwayo ngati akufunadi kukhala Papa. Akavomera, Papa watsopanoyo amafunsidwa kuti asankhe dzina la chi Papa (monga Francis, Benedicto wa 16 kapena Pius 10)
Cardinal Deacon amayang’anira ma Kadinala ena onse. Amaveka Papa watsopano udindo wake ngati wosankhidwayo sanali Bishopu.
Voti yosankha Papa imachitika kawiri mmawa ndiponso kawirinso masana. Pakachiti mavoti ammawa ndiponso amasana, ma pepala onse oponyera voti aja amawamanga pa chingwe ndikuwawotcha mu uvuni wapadera. Utsi wochedwa ‘Fumata’ umene umatuluka mu uvuniwu umakhala wokuda ndipo anthu amene akhala panja pa Sistine Chapel amadziwa kuti voti yomwe yachitika kumene palibe munthu amene wapeza mavoti okwanira kukhala Papa. Koma utsiwo ukatuluka woyera anthu amadziwa kuti Papa wapezeka. Mapepala avoti adziwotchedwa nthawi ya 12 koloko masana ndiponso 7 koloko madzulo.
Mu Sistine Chapel muli ma uvuni awiri. Uvuni umodziwo unapangidwa mchaka cha 1938 ndipo masiku azisankho zisano zomwe zachitika mbuyomo zinalembedwa pa uvuniwu, kuyambira chisankho cha Papa Pio wa Twelovu (Pius XII) mu 1939 mpakana chisankho cha Benedicto wa 16 mchaka cha 2005. Uvuni umenewu mudziwotchedwa mapepala a voti.
Uvuni wachiwiriwo ili ndi zida zamakono (electronic device) zowonjezera mankhawala kuti usti ukhala wokuda kapena woyera. Mauvuni awiriwa ndiolumikizidwa kumwamba kwake kuti utsi (Fumata) utuluke malo amodzi pa denga pa Sistine Chapel.
Papa akasankhidwa, amaperekezedwa ku Room of Tears (Chipinda cha mizosi) kuti akavale zovala za uPapa chidziwika kuti Papal Cassock. Telala amasokeratu ma Cassock atatu osiyana ma size kuti atha kumukwana munthu aliyense atasankidwe kukhala Papa.
Papa wosankhidwayo amavula zovala zake za uKadinala nkuvala nkanjo wa uPapa. Akatero ma Kadinala ena aja amamupatsa ulemu.
Cardinal wotchedwa Pretodeacon amapita pa khonde lamwamba la tchalichi la St Peter’s Basilica mu Vatican pamaso pa anthu onse amanene asonkhana nanena kuti Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: (Ndikulengeza kwa inu ndi chimwemwe – I announce to you a great joy:)
Habemus Papam! (Tili ndi Papa! – We have a Pope)
Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum, ( Wolemekezeka Ambuye – The most eminent and most reverend Lord)
Dominum [First Name] Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [Last Name], (Ambuye [dzina lake] Kadinala wa Eklezia Katolika [dzina la bamboo wake] – Lord [First Name] Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [Last Name],)
Qui sibi nomen imposuit [Papal Name]. (Amene watenga dzina la…. – Who takes for himself the name of [Papal Name].)
Cardinal Protodeacon ndi Kadinala amene watumikira kwa zaka zambiri kuposa ma cardinal ena onse. Ndi udindo wake kulengeza kwa onse kusankhidwa kwa Papa watsopano ndi mawu ochutchuka aja oti “Habemun Papam”. Cardinal Protodeacon ndi amanenso amaveka Papa nsalu yoyera nkosi (pallium) pa misa yokondwerera kusankidwa kwa Papa.
Papa watsopano amayenda pa mdipiti kupitanso pa khonde lija ndipo akalankhula pang’ono ama dalitsa anthu onse (Urbi et Orbi).
– Translated by Austin Madinga with assistance from Rev. Fr. Joseph Kimu
Awesome! Thought leadership at its best