There is an old fear in the Church that Francis intends to change the
Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis in order to lower the
quorum required for the election of the next Pope from the current
two-thirds of the votes to a simple majority of the votes.
According to IlMessagero.it (3 March), there is nothing on the horizon at the moment, only speculation.
The project has been the subject of much internal debate for several years.
The
College of Cardinals is currently made up of 137 electors, so a quorum
of 91 votes is required. This is a very high number compared to previous
conclaves.
What makes it difficult to reach the threshold of 91
is the lack of homogeneity of the electoral body and the lack of
interpersonal knowledge of the cardinals.
There is therefore a high risk of a prolonged conclave with an uncertain outcome.
A
possible amendment to reduce the quorum to an absolute majority would
increase the chances of quickly electing a representative of the old
Bergoglio party.
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