I agree with you that this is crazy doings in Rome. Those 5 cardinals had 22 days to get themselves to Rome. Them not being present is a direct plan to delay. Since all 115 electors are not in Rome the conclave cannot be moved up earlier from the 15th, if I understood the Motu correct. And even though he disgusts me, O’Brien does not get to choose not to attend, he’s required like you said. The only reason a cardinal can’t attend is being sick. And they make it like there’s going to be a cardinal on his death bed that can’t make it to the Sistine Chapel, but is still able to travel to Rome. Is there really anybody that sick under 80? It seems like that rule was made when they wheeled in 100 year olds. . If somebody is that “sick” why are they even coming? And the one cardinal that’s sick is claiming he can’t come because of bad eyesight. Can’t he just come and stgay in his room, and use this chalice we keep hearing about and let those 3 infirmi do their job.
When you are made a cardinal it means to elect a pope. Nothing else. There should be 117 of them in this upcoming conclave. We may be disgusted by O’Brien and others but when they don’t attend that’s the beginning of the election being tainted. I’m so sick of all the excuses. And the cardinal with the bad eyesight should have had a private jet hired from the mega rich Catholic church to bring him.
Maybe in the future when a cardinal becomes sick, and he’s not going to get better he shouldn’t be an elector anymore. This guy’s eyesight didn’t just go bad last week. And OBrien molested priests in the 80′s and decided to quit last week. Sounds like a Brinks truck got backed up to his doorstep, and, he suddenly got a conscience.
Its like a Michael Jackson death, or a Manti T’eo story. It’s gonna have a lot more twists and turns before it’s over. Somebody wants to claim the election was done wrong after the fact. It’s like the 1919 Black Sox. But so obvious its funny. That guy Lombardi is so bad, and the cardinals just keep letting it happen.

Jim K