A papal conclave is the secretive process by which the College of Cardinals elects a new pope, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church
How the Conclave Works
- Participants: Only cardinals under 80 years old are eligible to vote. They gather in the Sistine Chapel and are cut off from the outside world, including handing over phones and swearing an oath of secrecy under penalty of excommunication
- Isolation: Once the conclave begins, the cardinals are locked inside the Sistine Chapel, with only a few assisting clergy allowed temporarily. They sleep nearby in the Vatican and cannot communicate with anyone outside
- Voting Schedule: On the first day, there may be one vote in the afternoon. On each subsequent day, there are up to four votes-two in the morning and two in the afternoon
- Voting Procedure: Each cardinal writes the name of the candidate they choose on a ballot that says "Eligo in Summum Pontificem" ("I elect as Supreme Pontiff"). Ballots are collected and counted by scrutineers randomly selected among the cardinals. If a cardinal is too ill to attend, special "infirmarii" collect their votes
- Majority Needed: A candidate must receive a two-thirds majority (currently 90 votes out of 133 electors) to be elected pope
- If No Result: If no one achieves the required majority after several rounds (up to three days), the process pauses for prayer and addresses by senior cardinals. Eventually, if still no pope is elected, a runoff between the top two candidates occurs, with the two candidates themselves excluded from voting
- Smoke Signals: After each unsuccessful vote, ballots are burned with a chemical that produces black smoke, signaling no decision. When a pope is elected, ballots are burned with chemicals producing white smoke, announcing the successful election to the world
- Acceptance and Announcement: Once a candidate receives the required votes, the senior cardinal asks if he accepts the election. Upon acceptance, he immediately becomes pope and chooses his papal name. He then dresses in papal vestments and is presented to the public with the announcement "Habemus papam!" ("We have a pope!")
- Rituals and Prayer: The conclave includes daily Mass, prayers, and meditation to guide the cardinals spiritually during the election
This process, rooted in centuries-old tradition, ensures a confidential, prayerful, and orderly election of the new pope
