Pope John XXIII's body was nonetheless found to be extremely well preserved when his coffin was opened, with facial muscles intact, according to a cardinal present at the opening.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, an Italian and the senior cardinal present, led them in a collective oath, in Latin, to maintain secrecy and obedience to the constitution on papal transition.
Among five cardinals present was Terence Cardinal Cooke of New York.
Many believe that Benedict decided on his shock resignation on the day that three cardinals presented him with their report into the Vatileaks affair.
Father Lombardi said that slightly more than 100 of the 150 or so cardinals present had given short speeches about the state of the church and what was needed in the next pope, a subtle form of politicking and auditioning.
Ambrogio Piazzoni, the vice prefect of the Vatican library and an expert in the history of conclaves, said on Wednesday that the law stated simply that "cardinals present in Rome must wait 15 days for the arrival of the others".
That several of the cardinals present failed to understand must have highlighted for Benedict, an ardent Latinist, how his church has lost touch with its traditions.In this section See you later Torn vestments To the barricades The languages of jihad Internship ReprintsHow his resignation is construed will have great effects on his flock and the choice of its next shepherd.
After all the cardinals present have taken the oath, the Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations orders all individuals other than the cardinals electors and conclave participants to leave the Chapel.
Completely secret ballots (at the option of the cardinals present and voting) were sometimes used prior to 1621, but these secret ballots had no oath taken when the vote was actually cast.
The efforts of Zelanti met with strong protests from the ambassadors of France and Spain, but, fortunately for them, Cardinal Orsini, protector of the Kingdom of Naples and the only crown-cardinal present in the early ballots, was able to join some neutral cardinals to block Chigi's candidature.
