The 4th General Congregation was held this morning in Rome. 116 cardinals were present at this meeting of the 122 in the Vatican. While the number of cardinal-electors is 117, all the cardinals including those over the age of 80 are to participate in the General Congregation.
The congregation set the date of April 18th, in the afternoon, to begin the conclave that will elect the next pontiff. The rules and rituals concerning the election will be published by me on this site closer to that date.
Also, it was confirmed today, after the reading of Pope John Paul II’s will, that he did not name the in pectore cardinal. The Vatican Press Office indicates that there is “no further question” regarding this issue.
Lastly, the Sistine Chapel will be closed shortly to allow for the preparation needed for the conclave.

This morning, the Congregration met again. This time 88 of the 91 cardinals present in Rome attended.
The most intersting part of today’s press bulletin regarding this meeting is the discussion of the “in pectore” cardinal. In 2003, Pope John Paul II named a name cardinal “in pectore”, that is he named him in his heart. This is a techique that is used, in most cases, when a cardinal is in a location where great harm would come upon him if his being named cardinal was public. An example would be a bishop living in China. The state church, which is the only “Catholic” church allowed in China, does not acknowledge the authority of the Vatican. For someone there to be named a cardinal could cause more problems than anything else. The pope is the only person to know the identity of the in pectore cardinal.
There is a chance, however remote, that Pope John Paul II recorded the name of this cardinal in his will. I was under the impression that he did not have a will, since his burial instructions had already been announced. Whether that was a right impression to take or not, apparently, he has a will and it has not been read yet.

Anyone who has visited the Vatican website lately has seen this crest on the homepage. This is the crest of the Vacant See. Usually, the Apostolic See’s crest is this image with the triregno (the three-tiered papal crown) without the umbracullum (better known as the ombrellino; it’s the umbrella). The triregno is obviously a symbol of the Pope, however, where does the ombrellino fit in?
Simply stated and for disclaimer’s sake, I do not have a firm statement on where this comes from.
My guess is that the ombrellino’s symbolism is related to the College of Cardinals. According to the old Catholic Encyclopedia (~1915), one of the rights that a cardinal enjoys is the use of the ombrellino which “is held over them whenever they quit their carriages to accompany with bare heads the Blessed Sacrament, if perchance they meet It on their way.”
Looking past that, an ombrellino, defined broadly, is a type of canopy. From what I gather, it differs from the baldachinum, or altar canopy, in that the baldachinum is made of stone, metal, etc and has mutiple pillars. A form of these are/were allowed over the chairs of prelates and of princes. In this case, this is referring to secular princes, although cardinals are known as “princes of the church” so there may be some connection here as well. If you couldn’t tell, it’s all old medieval-style adoraments.
The ombrellino is noted as being smaller and carried by a single staff (i.e. like a umbrella). Lastly, many years ago, the ombrellino was used during conclaves over each of the cardinals. If I remember my history correctly, when a new pope was elected, all the cardinals would pull on their ombrellino causing it to close with the new pope’s ombrellino remaining open.
In short, put that all together, it seems that the use of the ombrellino in the crest of the vacant see is to indicate a) the absence of the pope by contrast and b) the role of the cardinals in guiding the keys of St. Peter to the new pontiff.
Anyone have anything to add to this?

This morning, the General Congregation met twice. The first meeting, the swore an oath:

We, the Cardinals of Holy Roman Church, of the Order of Bishops, of Priests and of Deacons, promise, pledge and swear, as a body and individually, to observe exactly and faithfully all the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, and to maintain rigorous secrecy with regard to all matters in any way related to the election of the Roman Pontiff or those which, by their very nature, during the vacancy of the Apostolic See, call for the same secrecy. [Next, each Cardinal shall add:] And I, N. Cardinal N., so promise, pledge and swear. [And, placing his hand on the Gospels, he will add:] So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I now touch with my hand.

65 cardinals were there, the Vatican announcement did not indicate whom. They met again shortly thereafter to discuss the most urgent matters. They decided to move the body today, have the funeral on Friday and that he will be buried in the same place where Pope John XXIII used to rest (he had since been moved upstairs out of the crypt).
The cardinals will gather again tomorrow at 3 a.m. CDT.
Tomorrow, a special press briefing will occur to discuss “Rites and Legislation of the Vacant See”.

During the Vacancy of the Apostolic See, virtually everything in Rome stops.
The College of Cardinals will assemble in a General Congregation to start the process of governing in the transition. Of course, they will see to the proper mourning of Pope John Paul II and to the election of his successor. They will also see to the normal day-to-day operation of the Vatican, except in all things related to the Pontiff or his office. That is, if something comes up that cannot wait and it does not pertain to something derived from the powers of the pope, they can see to it.
During the first meeting of General Congregation, all cardinals are to make the following oath:

We, the Cardinals of Holy Roman Church, of the Order of Bishops, of Priests and of Deacons, promise, pledge and swear, as a body and individually, to observe exactly and faithfully all the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, and to maintain rigorous secrecy with regard to all matters in any way related to the election of the Roman Pontiff or those which, by their very nature, during the vacancy of the Apostolic See, call for the same secrecy.
Next, each Cardinal shall add: “And I, N. Cardinal N., so promise, pledge and swear.” And, placing his hand on the Gospels, he will add: “So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I now touch with my hand.”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, as the Dean of the College of Cardinals, is to precide over the General Congregation. The Congregation will meet daily starting on Monday until the Conclave begins. This is to allow the Camerlengo, Eduardo Cardinal Martínez Somalo, to hear the opinions of the College of Cardinals and for him to communicate whatever is needed.
Who is the Camerlengo? He is the Chamberlain of the Apostolic Chamber and only one of two Cardinals to retain their duties. The Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus describes his duties:

When the Apostolic See falls vacant, it is the right and the duty of the cardinal camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, personally or through his delegate, to request reports from all the administrations dependent on the Holy See on their patrimonial and economic status as well as information on any extraordinary business that may at that time be under way, and, from the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See he shall request a financial statement on income and expenditures of the previous year and the budgetary estimates for the following year. He is obliged to submit these reports and estimates to the College of Cardinals.

He is also the person who officially and formally confirms and certifies the Pope’s death.
The other Cardinal retaining power, as mentioned previously, is the Major Penitentiary, James Francis Cardinal Stafford. This tribunal’s function is one directly having to do with the well-being of souls and therefore cannot be completely limited during the vacancy. If an emergency appeal for the absolution of an excommunication, indult, censure, etc, came to Rome, it is the Penitentiary’s duty to hear of the request. As these proceedings are kept under the seal of the confessional, no one can really give an example of such a situation. My best guess is someone who is under excommunication is ill- and the fear of death exists- repents and asks to be rejoined to the faithful, the request will go to this office, assuming the excommunication is reserved to the Holy See. Such examples of this would be a priest who broke the seal of confession or someone who takes the Body of Christ in the sacramental form and throws it away or retains it for sacrilegious purposs.
There are various other offices that remain open in some form: the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, the Secretary for Relations with States and the Secretaries of the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia. Again, none of their actions are derived from the Pontiff and they are governed by the College of Cardinals until a new pope is elected. The secretaries manage the business and human resources of the Roman Curial offices. The Almoner of His Holiness is the person designated to coordinate works of charity in line with the Pope’s directives. He is to continue to coordinate these works, subject to the College, until the election of a new Pope.
All civil powers of the Pope (as head of state of the Vatican City State) now fall to the College of Cardinals. They may not issue decrees unless it is urgent and they are only effective until the election of a new pope. He may then decide to confirm the decrees.
Lastly, the various tribunals of the Holy See, such as the Roman Rota, can still hear cases as normal.
For the general faithful, there should usually be no effect felt by the Curial offices closing. The local Church still operates as it always does.