how to become a pope

To become a pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, one must follow a unique and highly structured path:

1. Be a Catholic man : The pope must be a baptized male Catholic; being unmarried and willing to remain celibate are also required.
2. Become a priest : This requires rigorous theological education, typically including a college degree in Catholic philosophy and a master's in divinity, followed by ordination as a priest. This step involves years of study and training.
3. Advance to bishop : From the approximately 400,000 priests worldwide, about 5,000 become bishops. Bishops oversee cathedrals and local churches. To be considered for bishop, a priest must often be at least 35 years old, have been a priest for at least five years, and hold a doctorate in theology or an equivalent degree. Selection involves a confidential vetting and interview process by other bishops and the pope's ambassador (Apostolic Nuncio).
4. Become a cardinal : Cardinals are senior church officials and advisors to the pope; they form the College of Cardinals, responsible for electing the pope. Although technically the pope can be any Catholic male, since 1378, every pope has come from the College of Cardinals, making it practically necessary to become a cardinal to be elected pope.
5. Get elected pope in a conclave : When a pope dies or resigns, the cardinals gather in a conclave, a secretive and locked meeting, to vote for a new pope. A candidate must receive a two-thirds majority of votes. The voting process can take days or even weeks.
6. Choose a papal name : Upon election, the new pope chooses a papal name and publicly accepts the position.

The entire journey requires deep dedication, extensive education, ecclesiastical experience, and the support of fellow church leaders. The last time a non-cardinal was chosen pope was more than 600 years ago, making the path through the ranks essential in practice.

In short, becoming pope is about progressing through the ranks of the Catholic Church from priest to bishop, then cardinal, and finally being elected by the College of Cardinals as pope.