Rachel Evans
The Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the official leader of the entire Catholic Church and the head of the Vatican City. When a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals, comprised of cardinals from around the world, elects a successor. Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials chosen by the pope, and they hold a series of meetings called general congregations to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church. They then prepare for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave, which takes place in the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals cast ballots, and once a cardinal receives a two-thirds majority vote, he is asked if he accepts. If he does, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before appearing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The ballots are burned, producing white smoke to signal the election of a new pope.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cardinals eligible to vote | Cardinals under 80 years old |
| Cardinal electors | Only baptized Catholic males |
| Number of ballots | Four rounds of balloting every day |
| Result | Candidate receiving two-thirds of the vote |
| Pope's name | Chosen by the newly elected pope |
| Pope's regalia | White robes, a pectoral cross, and a white zucchetto |
| Announcement | "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") |
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What You'll Learn
- Cardinals hold meetings to discuss the Catholic Church's needs and challenges
- Cardinals prepare for the papal election, known as a conclave
- Cardinals cast ballots until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote
- The new pope chooses a name and is dressed in papal vestments
- The ballots are burned, producing white smoke to signal a new pope
Cardinals hold meetings to discuss the Catholic Church's needs and challenges
Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials from all over the world, personally chosen by the pope. When a pope dies or resigns, governance of the Catholic Church passes to these cardinals. They 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, known as a conclave.
During these meetings, cardinals discuss the challenges and needs of the Catholic Church, which has over 1.4 billion followers worldwide. They may also make arrangements for the funeral and burial of a deceased pope. The cardinals invoke the Holy Spirit and seek guidance from God, believing that the man elected as pope is chosen in accordance with God's will.
The process of selecting a new pope is part spiritual and part pragmatic. The College of Cardinals gathers in Vatican City, and the cardinals are not permitted to communicate with anyone outside the conclave. They hold four rounds of balloting each day until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority. The ballots are then burned, producing white smoke to signal to the world that a new pope has been elected.
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 on 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.
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Cardinals prepare for the papal election, known as a conclave
Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials chosen personally by the pope and are recognised by their red vestments. When a pope dies or resigns, governance of the Catholic Church passes to these cardinals.
Cardinals hold a series of meetings, called general congregations, at the Vatican to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church globally. They also prepare for the upcoming papal election, known as a conclave. The conclave is an act of supreme secrecy. Cardinals are not permitted to communicate with anyone outside the area where the election is taking place, except in cases of urgent necessity.
The electors hold a mass to ask for spiritual guidance before the papal election. Following the funeral rites and mass for a deceased pope, the electors process to the Sistine Chapel, where the election takes place.
The word "conclave" comes from a Latin word for a "room that can be locked up". In 1274, Gregory X issued a decree requiring electors to be locked in seclusion. He also limited each cardinal elector to two servants and rationed their food progressively when a conclave reached its fourth and ninth days.
To be elected, a cardinal must receive a two-thirds majority vote. Once a cardinal receives the necessary votes, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts. If he does, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before appearing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
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Cardinals cast ballots until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote
The process of electing a new pope is called a "conclave", derived from the Latin word for a "room that can be locked up". The College of Cardinals, comprised of bishops and Vatican officials from across the globe, personally chosen by the pope, are the only eligible electors in the conclave.
The cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican, called general congregations, to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church globally, and to prepare for the upcoming papal election. Following this, the electors hold a mass to ask for spiritual guidance before the papal election takes place.
During the conclave, the cardinals cast ballots until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. This process can be lengthy, with ballots taken four times a day until a candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority. The ballots are burned after each round of voting, with chemicals added to produce black smoke to indicate that a pope has not been chosen, and white smoke to signal to the world that a new pope has been elected.
Once a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts his election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before appearing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") before the new pope imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world.
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The new pope chooses a name and is dressed in papal vestments
The process of choosing a new pope is called a "conclave", derived from the Latin word for a "room that can be locked up". The College of Cardinals, comprised of bishops and Vatican officials from across the globe, personally chosen by the previous pope, is responsible for electing a new pope.
Once a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts the election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name. Since 533, new popes have decided on their regnal name, with Pope John II being the first to adopt a new papal name, as he felt his birth name, Mercurius, was inappropriate as it was also the name of a Roman god. Popes tend to choose papal names different from their baptismal names. After the pope-elect chooses his name, the officials are readmitted to the conclave, and the master of papal liturgical celebrations writes a document recording the acceptance and the new name of the pope.
The new pope is then 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. The senior-most cardinal deacon in the College of Cardinals then announces to the crowd in St. Peter's Square, "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; Habemus Papam", which translates to "I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope". The new pope then imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
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The ballots are burned, producing white smoke to signal a new pope
The College of Cardinals is responsible for electing a new pope. Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials from across the globe, personally chosen by the pope, and are identifiable by their red vestments. Following a vacancy in the papacy, the cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican, known as general congregations, to prepare for the upcoming papal election, or conclave.
The conclave is an act of supreme secrecy. Cardinals are not permitted to communicate with anyone outside the area where the election is taking place, except in cases of urgency. The cardinals hold four rounds of balloting every day until a candidate receives a two-thirds of the vote.
Once a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts his election. If he does, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before proceeding to the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
The ballots of the final round are then burned with chemicals, producing white smoke to signal to the world the election of a new pope. 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 on the city of Rome and the world.
The new pope is then 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.
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Frequently asked questions
Any baptised Catholic male can be elected as the Pope, regardless of whether they are a member of the priesthood. However, they must be ordained as a bishop upon accepting the election.
The Pope is chosen by the College of Cardinals, which is made up of cardinals from all over the world. Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials, personally chosen by the Pope.
The cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican called general congregations. They discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church and prepare for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave. The conclave is an act of supreme secrecy. Cardinals are not permitted to communicate with anyone outside the area. Following the election, the ballots are burned with chemicals, producing white smoke to signal the election of a new Pope.
The dean of the College of Cardinals asks the cardinal if he accepts his election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before appearing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") before the new Pope delivers his blessing to the crowd.
