Pope topped 75p.c. of vote

Press, 30 August 1978, Page 8

Pope topped 75p.c. of vote

NZPA-Reuter Brussels Pope John Paul I was elected on the fourth ballot, polling more than 75 per cent of the votes, a Belgian Cardinal, Leo Joseph Suenens, has indicated. The Cardinal, Primate of Belgium’s Roman Catholic Church, told Belgian journalists in Rome that the new Pope had received a “royal t h r ee -quarters majority,” Belgian newspapers have reported. v Cardinals taking part in the conclave are bound to secrecy and under threat of excommunication if they reveal the exact voting. To be elected the new Pope needed at least 75 votes out of 111 — a majority of two-thirds plus one. i

Cardinal Suenens also told the Belgian journalists that the first ballot on Saturday morning had been a hesitant one, with votes spread among many candidates. But the number of candidates had already become smaller on the second ballot, he said. Things had become very clear in the thrid ballot, in the afternoon, Cardinal Suenens was quoted as saying. Cardinal Suenens said the fourth ballot’s overwhelming majority had been really extraordinary and unexpected. He emphasised that there had been no pre-agreement before the conclave on the name of the new Pope or even on his hoped-for “profile.” Cardinal Suenens also told Belgian journalists that he

had asked the new Pope if he had slept well as both of them emerged from their respective rooms on Sunday morning. Pope John Paul joking answered: “I slept badly. Yesterday when I had to say after the election if I accepted, I answered, ‘Yes.’ Overnight I had my doubts . . . but it was a bit late.” Pope John Paul has reappointed all the top Vatican officials to their posts, indicating that there will be no immediate changes in the running of the Roman Catholic Church. The heads of department in the Curia, the Vatican’s central administration, automatically relinquished their posts after the death of Pope Paul three weeks ago. The new Pope, who is

totally without experience of Vatican administration, had not been expected to make significant changes at senior levels of the Curia. His most important reappointment was of a French Cardinal, Jean Villot, as Secretary of State.

As the Vatican’s most senior official after the Pope, Cardinal Villot, who is 72, will be a key figure at the heart of the Church’s administration.

Cardinal Villot has been Secretary of State for almost a decade, but his role may now be more important as Pope Paul was himself a former Secretary of State and a highly experienced Vatican official, while the new Pontiff has never held a Curial post