A Cardinal Shares His Conclave Advice: ‘Bring a Book’

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York has some advice for cardinals who are about to experience their first conclave.

“Bring a book,” he said in an interview on Tuesday afternoon, as the cardinals packed their bags to move into Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican City guesthouse where scores of cardinals stay during the conclave, the process of selecting the next leader of the Catholic Church.

“I do,” said Cardinal Dolan, “because in the conclave is mostly silence.”

When the cardinals meet for the conclave, they gather in the Sistine Chapel. All cardinal electors must swear an oath of secrecy and vote by secret ballot. The cardinals cast repeated votes until there is a two-thirds majority, and the next pope is selected.

The voting process can take an hour or two each time, so there is a lot of waiting while each cardinal fills out his ballot and submits it in an elaborate ritual to ensure there are no election violations, he said.

“It’s not like you’re at the edge of the seat, and watching them all do that,” said Cardinal Dolan, who attended the conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013.

He’s bringing a biography of Michelangelo, which felt appropriate, as he will be surrounded by some of the artist’s masterpieces, including “The Last Judgment,” which depicts the second coming of Christ and covers the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.