Pope Benedict XVI Resigning and the Role of the Sistine Chapel
- February 11, 2013
- Art News | Michelangelo
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Today Pope Benedict XVI announced to the world that he would be resigning and stepping down from his Pontiff role as of February 28, 2013. You might wonder what this trending news has to do with art. The fact is that when the pope steps down, the process to select a new leader of the Catholic Church will begin and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel will play a role. When the College of Cardinals meets to select a successor to the current pope the meeting is referred to as a papal conclave. Following several long vacancies of the pope’s position, Pope Gregory X, in 1274, declared that the cardinals should be locked …..