HOTSPOT

When the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had died, people were again fascinated that it took major wire agencies, international print and broadcast media “only minutes” to release long-form obit stories and video packages about him.

That’s part of their jobs. In the case of the New York Times, for instance, it has an editor and staff dedicated to writing – in advance – obituary stories about America’s and the world’s most important persons.

I’m quite certain that many members of the world media had made drafts of their Pope Francis obit stories, months or even years before. And when the pope’s health became severe or serious in February, they updated those stories, just in case.

We as the audience of media won’t have it any other way. Because as soon as media breaks such a big piece of news, we would want not just the breaking news on loop or on repeat. We would want feature stories, analysis, commentary, and video packages about such news.

We could also be sure that media are now gathering information, and writing draft articles for the profiles, biographical notes, and features on the prospective new pope to be elected in the conclave starting on May 7. They cannot be caught totally unprepared.

Of course, everyone knows by now about the white smoke as a signal that the cardinals have elected a new pope. But as soon as the cardinal protodeacon makes the “habemus papam” announcement, and states the new pope’s first name in Latin and his chosen papal name, media would be obligated to report about him.

Here is the actual text of the announcement: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam! Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum (First Name in Latin) Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem (Last Name) qui sibi nomen imposuit (Papal Name in Latin)."

For us Filipinos, the names to watch out for in the protodeacon’s announcement are: Aloisium Antonium Tagle, Iosephum Advincula, or Paulum Vergilium David. These are the Latin names of the Filipino cardinals, as mentioned in the Acta Apostolica Sedis, the Holy See’s own Official Gazette.

Given that Filipino cardinals are considered “papabile,” or papal contenders, it won’t be a surprise that special correspondents would be sent this week to Manila to immediately cover the reactions of Filipinos in the event that any of the Filipino cardinals is elected.

Art cards, prepared beforehand, would have to be updated, re-checked, and immediately released. Next would be the features, batches of photos and videos. The world’s newspapers, television and radio stations, and news websites would want more information to be published and broadcast. Some newspapers would release special issues or second editions. TV stations would go on special broadcast.

We have been told to pray for the cardinals. As a majority Catholic nation, we are easily influenced by this call for prayer. Perhaps, rightly so.

But the conclave is not just a church or religious event. It is also a political event, where the electors are going to elect among themselves a new head of state for the Vatican City State, a new pontiff for the Holy See, and a new bishop of Rome.

In political science terms, it is a process to pick the world’s last non-hereditary elected absolute monarch.

In ideological terms, observers are looking into the push-and-pull between the progressive and conservative factions vying for leadership of the church.

In media terms, the pope is a world leader and the leading faith leader with the biggest number of followers.

If by chance, any of the Filipino cardinals is elected, it would be a huge turnaround for this majority Catholic nation that became one as part of foreign conquest, and for a long time believing our destiny was to be mere followers.

As we look forward to the conclave, let’s remember our first cardinals: Ruphinum Santos, appointed 1960 by John XXIII; Iulium Rosales, appointed 1969, and Iacobi Sin, appointed 1976, both by Paul VI; Richardum Vidal, appointed 1985, and Iosephum Sánchez, appointed 1991 both by John Paul II.

We have two living non-elector cardinals: Gaudentium Rosales, appointed 2006 by Benedict XVI; and Rolandum Quevedo, appointed 2014 by Francis.

Yes, the Philippines had its first cardinal only in 1960.

Thus, the papal conclave is also a Philippine issue, with Filipinos looking at their role in the church, our capacity to create leaders, and our thought-leadership in Asia and in everywhere Filipinos have brought themselves and their Catholic faith.

Regardless of the outcome, the positive media spotlight now pointed at our country as the home of serious papal contenders and global church leaders is something we should get used to.