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Papal Conclave, 1978 (august)





ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE AND ALLEGED RESULTS


Several authors have provided what they claim to be the vote totals at the conclave. Although this evidence must be viewed as questionable, it cannot be dismissed out of hand. Details of papal conclaves are not supposed to be mentioned by those involved under threat of Excommunication , but this was the first conclave which excluded cardinals over the age of 80 (their ineligibilty having been decreed by Paul VI in 1970 ). Cardinals over 80 are still allowed to participate in the preparatory meetings - and they were ''not'' required to take the same oath of secrecy during the 1978 conclaves. It is possible that one of these elderly cardinals may have revealed things they learned, though after the preparatory meetings were over the superannuated cardinals never entered the conclave itself. Also, cardinals under 80 were not required to destroy all notes they took during the conclave.

Under the rules introduced for the 2005 conclave, cardinals over 80 are required to take the same oath of secrecy if they want to participate in the preparatory meetings. All cardinal electors are required to surrender any notes they may have taken in order to be burned along with ballots.


Yallop tally

As presented by David Yallop in ''In God's Name'' (ISBN 0553050737), a book which claims that John Paul I was murdered:






Burkle-Young tally

As presented by Francis A. Burkle-Young in ''PASSING THE KEYS'' (ISBN 1568331304):

  • First Ballot: Siri 25, Luciani 23, Pignedoli 18, Baggio 9, König 8, Bertoli 5, Pironio 4, Felici 2, Lorscheider 2, and 15 others one each.


  • Second Ballot: Luciani 53, Siri 24, Pignedoli 15, Lorscheider, Baggio, Cordeiro, Wojtyla 4 each, Felici 3.


  • Third Ballot: Luciani 92, Pignedoli 17, Lorscheider 2.


  • Fourth Ballot: Luciani 102, Lorscheider 1 (cast by Luciani), ''Nemini'' (no one) 8.



Thomas-Witts tally

As presented by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts in ''PONTIFF'' (ISBN 0451129512):

  • First Ballot: same as Burkle-Young's count except 5 votes for Pironio, fourteen candidates with 1.


  • Second Ballot: Luciani 46, Pignedoli 19, Lorscheider 14, Baggio 11, Bertoli 4, others unspecified.


  • Third Ballot: Luciani 66, Pignedoli 21, Lorscheider 1 (cast by Aramburu), others unspecified.


  • Fourth Ballot: Luciani 96, Pignedoli 10, Lorscheider 1 (cast by Aramburu).



NOTES

The election was one of the plot elements of the movie '' The Godfather Part III ''.