Sarah Mitchell
The Pope, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church, is chosen by a group of cardinals, the senior-most clergy in the Catholic Church. The process of electing a new pope is called a conclave, which comes from a Latin word for a room that can be locked up. The cardinals are isolated from the outside world for the duration of the vote to ensure no external influences. The voting process can go on for days, with smoke signals from the Sistine Chapel chimney indicating whether a decision has been made. Black smoke means no pope has been chosen, while white smoke signals that a new pope has been elected.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who is eligible to be elected pope? | Any baptized Catholic male |
| Who elects the pope? | The College of Cardinals |
| Who are the cardinals? | Bishops and Vatican officials from all over the world, personally chosen by the pope |
| How are the cardinals chosen? | Cardinals under 80 years old are the only eligible electors |
| How does the election process work? | Cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican, discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church, and prepare for the upcoming papal election. Each cardinal puts forward a name (sometimes their own), and then there's a series of votes. |
| How many votes are required? | A two-thirds majority is needed. If no one reaches the threshold after multiple rounds of voting, the requirement drops to a simple majority. |
| What happens when a pope is chosen? | 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. 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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What You'll Learn
The role and requirements
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Catholic Church. He is also the head of Vatican City, which is a separate state from Rome. The word "Pope" comes from the Greek word "pappas", meaning "father", reflecting the Pope's role as the spiritual father of all Catholics.
The Pope is chosen by a group of cardinals, the senior-most clergy in the Catholic Church, who are under 80 at the time of the election. Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials from across the globe, personally chosen by the Pope. They are easily recognised by their distinctive red vestments.
Any baptised Catholic male can be elected Pope, according to canon law. The only formal requirement is that he must be ordained as a bishop upon accepting the position. However, in practice, the Pope is usually chosen from among the cardinals.
The process of electing a new Pope is known as a conclave, derived from the Latin for a "room that can be locked up". The cardinals meet in secret, isolated from the outside world to ensure no external influences, and take an oath of discretion. Each cardinal puts forward a name (sometimes their own), and then there is a series of votes. In the initial voting phases, a two-thirds majority is needed. If no candidate reaches the threshold after multiple rounds of voting, the requirement drops to a simple majority.
The ballots are burned after each round of voting, and the smoke that emerges from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel signals whether a decision has been reached. Black smoke indicates no Pope has been chosen, while white smoke means a new Pope has been elected.
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The College of Cardinals
When a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals meets in Vatican City for a conclave to elect a successor. The term "conclave" comes from the Latin for a "room that can be locked up". Cardinals are not permitted to communicate with anyone outside the area where the election is taking place. They are isolated from the outside world for the duration of the vote to ensure no external influences.
During the conclave, the cardinals hold a series of meetings called general congregations. They discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church and prepare for the upcoming election. After the funeral rites and mass for a deceased pope, the cardinals process to the Sistine Chapel, where they take an oath of discretion and close the doors to the public.
Each cardinal puts forward a name (sometimes their own) and then there is a series of votes. In the initial voting phases, a two-thirds majority is needed. If no one reaches the threshold after multiple rounds of voting, the requirement drops to a simple 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 and informal discussions.
Once a pope is elected, 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 appearing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") and introduces the new pope, who imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world.
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The conclave
The College of Cardinals, which is made up of cardinals from all over the world, is responsible for selecting the pope. They are bishops and Vatican officials, personally chosen by the pope, and are recognisable by their distinctive red vestments. The pope must be a baptised Catholic male, and while he is not required to be a cardinal, it is worth noting that for the last 600 years, the College of Cardinals has picked one of their own.
Once a pope has been chosen, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts the election. 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 senior cardinal deacon then announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") to the crowd, and the new pope imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world.
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Voting process
The process of choosing a new pope, known as a conclave, is an act of supreme secrecy. Cardinals, who are the most senior officials in the Catholic Church, are not permitted to communicate with anyone outside the area where the election is taking place.
The conclave begins with a mass to ask for spiritual guidance. Cardinals then gather in the Sistine Chapel, where they take an oath of discretion and close the doors to the public. Each cardinal puts forward a name (sometimes their own), and then there's a series of votes. In the initial voting phases, a two-thirds majority is needed. If no one reaches the threshold after multiple rounds of voting, the requirement drops to a simple majority. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.
The ballots are burned after each round of voting, with the smoke emerging from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel to signal whether a decision has been made. If the smoke is black, it means the cardinals have not reached a decision. White smoke signals that a new pope has been chosen.
Once a candidate has been chosen, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks if they accept the position. If they accept, they choose a papal name and are 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 their blessing on the city of Rome and the world.
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Announcing the new pope
Firstly, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks the newly elected pope if he accepts his election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments. The ballots from the final round of voting are burned with chemicals, producing white smoke to signal to the world 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 introducing the new pope by name.
The new pope then makes his first public appearance, blessing the city of Rome and the entire world. The pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Catholic Church, so his election and announcement are events of great significance for the Church and its followers.
The conclave is an ancient process, with the College of Cardinals electing one of their own as pope for the last 600 years. The pope is chosen from among the most senior clergy in the Catholic Church, and while there is no official requirement for him to be a cardinal, this is generally the case. The only formal qualification is that the candidate be a baptised male.
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Frequently asked questions
Any baptised Catholic male can be elected as the Pope, according to canon law. The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Catholic Church.
The College of Cardinals is responsible for choosing the Pope. Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials from across the globe, personally chosen by the Pope.
The process of choosing the Pope is called a conclave. The cardinals meet in the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of discretion before voting. Each cardinal puts forward a name and a series of votes are held. In the initial voting phases, a two-thirds majority is required. If no one reaches the threshold, the requirement drops to a simple majority. Once a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote, they are asked if they accept. If they accept, they choose a papal name and are dressed in papal vestments.
The ballots of the final round are burned with chemicals, producing black or white smoke to signal the outcome of the election to the world. Black smoke indicates that no decision has been made, while white smoke means a new Pope has been chosen.
