After a pope dies, the Catholic Church chooses its subsequent chief by an historical electoral course of referred to as the “papal conclave.”
In apply, since at the least 1276, the conclave gathers the church’s high bishops – referred to as the School of Cardinals – from across the globe. Although there are greater than 240 cardinals at the moment, solely these below the age of 80 are eligible to vote within the conclave and the variety of cardinal electors is proscribed to 120.
Almost all prefects of Vatican workplaces lose their jobs when a pope dies, however just a few keep on, together with the overseas minister and the grasp of liturgical ceremonies, who play a key function in assembling the conclave.
The conclave takes place within the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and cardinals are saved in strict isolation to maintain them removed from any outdoors affect from the remainder of the world. This isolation is so essential within the course of that even the identify conclave comes from the Latin “con clavis,” which implies “with key,” indicating how the cardinal electors are locked up whereas they deliberate over who would be the new pope.
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Incense is solid over the coffin of Pope John Paul II by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the course of the funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Sq. on April 8, 2005, in Vatican Metropolis. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Photos)
There’s additionally an emphasis on selecting a pope rapidly to reduce the period of time the church spends and not using a chief. The cardinals solid their first vote the day the conclave begins. They then solid votes at the least twice every single day after – within the morning and night – till a pope is chosen.
The widespread apply within the trendy Catholic Church is for the cardinals to decide on a pope from amongst their very own ranks, although this was not all the time the case.
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Pope Francis receives Vice President JD Vance, on the Vatican on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Vatican Media through AP, HO)
Conclaves will sometimes start with a particular Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica, wherein the cardinals invoke the Holy Spirit for steering.
Cardinals vote for the pope by a secret poll. At every vote, a cardinal will write his alternative on a chunk of paper, course of as much as Michaelangelo’s large fresco of the final judgment – which serves as a reminder of the gravity and sacredness of their accountability – and drop his poll in a chalice.
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Cardinals of the Catholic Church attend the election conclave within the Sistine Chapel on April 18, 2005, on the Vatican. (Arturo Mari – Vatican Pool/ Getty Photos)
A two-thirds majority of votes is required to pick out a brand new pope. Greater than two-thirds of the eligible cardinal electors have been appointed by Pope Francis. Nevertheless, these cardinals maintain a various set of viewpoints and are available from all completely different components of the world.
After every vote, the ballots are burned and the ashes are used to ship a sign to the remainder of the world about whether or not a choice has been made. Black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel means there has not been a consensus, whereas white smoke means a pope has been chosen.
Gerhard Ludwig Cardinal Müller, proper, throughout a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica. (Johannes Neudecker/image alliance)
As soon as a cardinal receives a two-thirds majority of the votes, the dean of the School of Cardinals asks him if he’s prepared to just accept the place. If he accepts, he should then select his papal identify. Cardinal Jose Mario Bergoglio selected the identify “Pope Francis,” turning into the primary pope to decide on this identify.
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After the world is alerted by the burning of white smoke, the brand new pope is introduced with essentially the most senior cardinal proclaiming “Habemus papam!” – “We have now a pope” – after which the newly elected pontiff processes out and imparts his first blessing to the town of Rome and the remainder of the world.
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