How A Pope Is Chosen: 6 Things To Know About The Conclave
(EXPLAINER) Pope Francis’ death and funeral will usher in a period of transition for the Catholic Church, with cardinals gathering at the Vatican for the papal conclave, the secretive voting that will result in the election of a new pope.
A conclave is the special gathering of cardinals for the purpose of electing a pope. The next conclave is not expected to begin until after May 5, following nine days of official mourning.
Papua New Guinea’s first and only cardinal, John Ribat, said he was honored to represent the South Pacific island nation of 12 million people in the College of Cardinals, a group that Francis worked greatly to diversify.
READ: What The Movie ‘Conclave’ Didn’t Show You
“To have a representative from here to be in the conclave, it is a big thing,” Ribart told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The cardinal said he hoped the next pope would be someone who could lead the church in “a way that is truthful and binds everyone together.”
Here are six things you need to know about the upcoming conclave:
1. Gathering inside the Sistine Chapel
The conclave takes place in the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals are literally locked in ("conclave" comes from Latin “cum clave,” meaning “with a key”) until a new pope is elected.
The longest conclave in history took place between 1268 and 1271, lasting 33 months. Following the death of Pope Clement IV, cardinals gathered in the Italian city of Viterbo to elect a new pontiff. Political divisions, especially between pro-French and pro-Italian factions, led to a deadlock.
Locals got so frustrated that they locked the cardinals inside the palace – even removing the roof – until they reached a decision. Eventually, the cardinals agreed to elect Teobaldo Visconti, who became Pope Gregory X.
2. Only cardinals under 80 can vote
As of rules established by Pope Paul VI and reaffirmed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI, only cardinals under the age of 80 at the time the papacy becomes vacant are eligible to vote. There are 135 voting cardinals (110 of them named by Francis) who fit that description at the moment, although two have already acknowledged they won’t travel to Rome due to poor health.
This is also a geographically diverse group of cardinals. As a result, it could last in a longer conclave since these are men who have spent little time in Rome and with each other.
South Korean Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, who heads the Vatican’s office for priests, acknowledged the transition is full of uncertainties: “We’ll see what the Holy Spirit says.”
Here is the breakdown of where the cardinals hail from:
— Asia-Pacific region accounts for 18% of voting-age cardinals, up from 10% in 2013.
— Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 12% of cardinals, up from 8%.
— Latin America-Caribbean region has 18%, up from 17%.
— Middle East-North Africa region has 3%, up from 2%.
— Europe has 40% (17 alone from Italy), down from 51%.
— North America accounts for 10%, down from 12%.
Of the 108 cardinals who were appointed by Francis and are currently eligible to vote, 38% are from Europe, 19% are from Latin America and the Caribbean, 19% are from the Asia-Pacific region, 12% are from sub-Saharan Africa, 7% are from North America and 4% are from the Middle East and North Africa.
Altogether, cardinals appointed by Francis make up 80% of the 135 voting members of the College of Cardinals. The remainder were appointed by Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.
3. Two-thirds majority needed
A new pope must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes. If the conclave goes on for many ballots without a result, the cardinals may take a break and pray before the voting resumes.
The cardinals write names on small slips of white paper. A cardinal can vote for himself. The names of those who receive votes is read aloud until the two-thirds majority (72 votes in this case) is met.
There are several frontrunners for the position, although several other contenders have emerged in recent days, including Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who has received plenty of buzz.
New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the ideal next pope would be a mix of Saint Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis.
“Could we find somebody with a blend of all of them?” he asked, adding that Catholics are looking for “a mosaic” of past popes to lead them into the future.
But Dolan, who took part in the 2013 conclave that elected Francis to the papacy, also acknowledged some challenges.
“I am praying that the Holy Spirit will help me to meet and better get to know my brother cardinals,” he added.
Here’s how the last 10 papal conclaves went and their duration:
— Pius X (1903): four days, seven ballots
— Benedict XV (1914): three days, 10 ballots
— Pius XI (1922): five days, 14 ballots
— Pius XII (1939): two days, three ballots
— John XXIII (1958): four days, 11 ballots
— Paul VI (1963): three days, six ballots
— John Paul I (1978): two days, four ballots
— John Paul II (1978): three days, eight ballots
— Benedict XVI (2005): two days, four ballots
— Francis (2013): two days, five ballots
4. Secrecy is absolute
Cardinals take an oath of secrecy. No phones, microphones, internet or any contact whatsoever with the outside world is allowed.
In addition, security sweeps — often involving electronic jamming technology — are conducted to ensure the secrecy of the process and prevent any outside interference or eavesdropping.
5. Using smoke signals
The famous smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney signals the outcome of each vote: Black smoke means no decision has been made, while white signifies that a new pope has been elected.
The smoke is produced by the burning of the paper ballots used in the vote.
6. Choosing a new name
Once elected, the new pope accepts the role and chooses a papal name — one often inspired by either saints or previous popes.
The newly elected pontiff then appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for what’s known as the “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”) announcement to the awaiting crowd and television cameras from around the world.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged.