Michael Brooks
The process of electing a new pope, known as a conclave, is steeped in tradition and history. When a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals, the most senior clergy in the Catholic Church, assumes responsibility for governing the Church and electing a successor. The College of Cardinals gathers in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to cast secret ballots, following a detailed procedure. The successful candidate must receive a two-thirds majority, although this can change to a simple majority after several ballots. The process can take days, or even years, as witnessed in the late 1200s when the election took over two years. Once elected, the new pope chooses a name, dresses in papal vestments, and delivers his first blessing, Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World), from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can be elected? | Any baptised Catholic male can be elected pope, regardless of whether they are a member of the priesthood. |
| Requirements | The only requirement is that he must be ordained as a bishop upon accepting the election. |
| Who votes? | Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave. |
| Number of voters | The conclave consists of about 120 electors. |
| Voting process | There are four rounds of balloting taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. |
| Voting duration | If a pope is not chosen after three days of voting, the cardinals suspend voting for up to one day. |
| Voting secrecy | The cardinals vote by secret ballot. |
| Ballot burning | After each round of voting, the ballots are burned with chemicals, producing black smoke if the voting is inconclusive and white smoke if a new pope has been chosen. |
| Pope's acceptance | Once a pope is elected, he is asked if he accepts his "canonical election as Supreme Pontiff" and to select his papal name. |
| Pope's attire | The new pope is dressed in papal vestments and a white zucchetto, or head cap. |
| Announcement | The senior cardinal deacon announces from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope"). |
| Pope's blessing | The new pope steps onto the balcony and gives his first blessing, "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and the World"). |
| Pope's inauguration | A papal inauguration takes place a few days after the election. |
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What You'll Learn
The College of Cardinals elects the pope
The College of Cardinals elects a new pope when there is a vacancy, usually following the death or resignation of the previous pope. The cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican, known as general congregations, to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church. They will also prepare for the upcoming papal election, known as a conclave.
The conclave is a gathering of cardinals for the purpose of selecting a new pope. The term comes from the Latin word for a "room that can be locked up". The cardinals meet in strict isolation to avoid any external influences or interference. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave, and they are known as cardinal electors.
The cardinal electors process to the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of absolute secrecy before sealing the doors. They vote by secret ballot, casting their votes in a large chalice. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority, which is required for election. If no candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority after three days of voting, the cardinals suspend voting for up to one day to allow for prayer, informal discussion, and spiritual exhortation.
Once a new pope has been elected, the ballots are burned with chemicals to produce white smoke, signalling publicly the election of a new pope. The senior cardinal deacon announces from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope!"). The new pope then steps out onto the balcony and gives his first blessing.
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Cardinals are bishops chosen by the pope
The College of Cardinals governs the Catholic Church and the Vatican when there is a vacancy in the papacy. Cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican called general congregations to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church globally. They also prepare for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave. The term "conclave" comes from a Latin word for a "room that can be locked up".
The conclave takes place in the strictest isolation to avoid the possibility of any external influences or interference. Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave. They enter the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of absolute secrecy before sealing the doors. The cardinals vote by secret ballot, processing one by one up to Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgment, saying a prayer, and dropping the twice-folded ballot into a large chalice.
Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority. If a pope is not chosen after three days of voting, the cardinals suspend voting for up to one day to allow for prayer, informal discussion, and a brief spiritual exhortation by a key cardinal. Once a new pope has been elected, he is asked if he accepts his "canonical election as Supreme Pontiff" and chooses his papal name. The ballots of the final round are burned with chemicals, producing white smoke to signal to the world the election of a new pope.
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Only cardinals under 80 can vote
When a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals takes over the governance of the Catholic Church and elects a new pope. The College of Cardinals consists of cardinals from all over the world, personally chosen by the pope.
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave. They are known as cardinal electors. The number of cardinal electors is usually around 120. The cardinal electors take an oath of absolute secrecy before sealing the doors of the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave takes place.
The cardinal electors vote by secret ballot, casting their votes in a large chalice. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority. If no candidate receives a two-thirds majority after three days of voting, the cardinals suspend voting for up to one day for prayer and discussion.
After a series of ballots, the cardinals can decide to elect a pope by a simple majority instead of a two-thirds majority. Once a pope is elected, he is asked if he accepts his election and chooses a papal name. The ballots of the final round are burned with chemicals, producing white smoke to signal to the world the election of a new pope.
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The process is kept secret
The process of electing a new pope is kept secret. The College of Cardinals gathers in Vatican City to choose a successor to the pope, and the cardinals who are eligible to vote enter the Sistine Chapel and follow a detailed procedure for casting secret ballots. The cardinals take an oath of absolute secrecy before sealing the doors. The secrecy of the process is intended to prevent any external influences or interference.
The ballots are cast once during the first day of the conclave and then twice a day (in morning and evening sessions) until a new pope is elected. The voting process can last for several days, and if a pope is not chosen after three days of voting, the cardinals suspend voting for up to one day to allow for prayer, informal discussion, and a brief spiritual exhortation. The ballots are burned after each round of voting, and the smoke that emerges from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel signifies the outcome of the vote to the crowd waiting outside. Black smoke indicates that no decision has been made, while white smoke signals that a new pope has been chosen.
The scrutineers examine each ballot, and the last scrutineer calls out the name on the ballot so that all the cardinals can record the tally. The last scrutineer pierces each ballot with a needle and places it on a thread to secure them. The revisers then double-check the work of the scrutineers for possible mistakes. Any handwritten notes made by the cardinals during the vote are collected and burned with the ballots.
Once a new pope has been elected, he is asked if he accepts his "canonical election as Supreme Pontiff" and chooses his papal name. The cardinals greet the new pope and pledge their obedience to him. The senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, and the new pope delivers his first blessing to the crowd.
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White smoke signals a new pope
When a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals, consisting of about 120 cardinals from all over the world, convenes to elect a new pope. The College of Cardinals holds a series of meetings at the Vatican, known as general congregations, to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church. The conclave, a term derived from the Latin word for a "room that can be locked up", refers to the gathering of cardinals for the purpose of selecting a new pope.
The conclave takes place in strict isolation, with only cardinals under the age of 80 being eligible to vote. They follow a detailed procedure for casting secret ballots, with four rounds of balloting taking place every day until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority. If no candidate receives a two-thirds majority after three days of voting, the cardinals suspend voting for up to one day for prayer and discussion.
Once a new pope is elected, the ballots are burned with chemicals, producing white smoke. This is a public signal that a new pope has been chosen. The senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope!") from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, before the new pope imparts his blessing upon the city of Rome and the world.
The new pope is led to the "Room of Tears" in the Sistine Chapel, where he dresses in white robes and receives a new pectoral cross and white zucchetto, or head cap. The cardinals greet the new pope and pledge their obedience to him. A papal inauguration takes place a few days later.
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Frequently asked questions
Any baptised Catholic male can be elected as Pope, regardless of whether they are a priest or not. However, they must be ordained as a bishop upon accepting the position.
The College of Cardinals is responsible for electing a new Pope. Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials from all over the world, personally chosen by the Pope.
The College of Cardinals meets in Vatican City to elect a new Pope. Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave and must take an oath of secrecy. They vote by secret ballot, and four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority.
The election of a new Pope is signalled by white smoke emerging from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel. The senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a Pope") from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
