Here’s a detailed, step-by-step breakdown of how the next Pope will be elected, based on centuries of tradition and modern rules (mostly laid out by documents like Universi Dominici Gregis by Pope John Paul II and updates by Benedict XVI and Francis):1. Death or Resignation of the Pope
Death: Traditionally, the process starts when a Pope dies.
Resignation: If the Pope resigns (like Benedict XVI did in 2013), the process begins once his resignation is official.
A special announcement is made to the world ("Sede Vacante"—meaning "the seat is vacant").
2. Period of Mourning and Preparations
Nine days of official mourning ("Novemdiales") are held if the Pope has died.
Meanwhile, preparations begin for the election.
No major decisions can be made by Church officials; their job is just to keep the Church running.
The Camerlengo (a cardinal appointed by the previous Pope) officially manages Vatican affairs during this time.
He verifies the death.
Seals the papal apartments.
Oversees the logistics of the coming election.
3. Summoning the Cardinals
All cardinals under the age of 80 are summoned to Rome.
(They are the only ones eligible to vote.)
Roughly 120 cardinal electors usually participate, though the exact number can vary.
General Congregations (meetings) of all cardinals take place to discuss the needs of the Church and the qualities needed in the next Pope.
4. Conclave Begins
The cardinals move into the Domus Sanctae Marthae (a special residence in Vatican City).
They are completely cut off from the outside world—no phones, no internet, no outside communication.
The election itself happens inside the Sistine Chapel.
Before starting, the cardinals swear an oath of secrecy.
5. Voting Procedure
The voting follows a very structured and secret process:
Step-by-Step:
Ballots are distributed: Each cardinal writes the name of his chosen candidate on a ballot.
Voting: Cardinals vote secretly, one by one, placing ballots in a chalice or urn on the altar.
Counting the votes:
The ballots are counted.
Each vote is read aloud and recorded.
Majority required:
A two-thirds majority is needed for election.
If no one achieves this, another round of voting occurs.
How Often?
Two rounds in the morning, two in the afternoon.
After each set of votes, if no Pope is chosen, they burn the ballots.
6. Smoke Signals
Black smoke ("fumata nera") from the Sistine Chapel chimney = no Pope yet.
White smoke ("fumata bianca") = a new Pope has been elected!
(The smoke is produced by burning the ballots, with special chemicals added to colour it.)
7. Acceptance and Name
Once someone gets the required votes, the Dean of the College of Cardinals asks:
"Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?"
If the chosen man accepts:
He immediately becomes Pope.
He is asked to choose a papal name (e.g., John Paul II, Francis).
If he refuses (which is extremely rare), voting resumes.
8. Public Announcement
The new Pope changes into papal vestments.
He appears at the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Senior Cardinal Deacon declares to the crowd:
"Habemus Papam!" ("We have a Pope!")
The Pope then gives his first Urbi et Orbi ("to the City and the World") blessing.
9. Aftermath
The new Pope officially takes office immediately.
A formal inauguration Mass usually follows within a few days, but no special "coronation" is necessary anymore.
He begins his papacy as Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church.
Some Key Details to Remember
The Pope can theoretically be any baptized male Catholic, but for over a millennium only cardinals have been elected.
All votes are conducted by secret ballot.
All cardinals are bound under strict secrecy—breaking it can result in automatic excommunication.
The conclave must ensure absolute isolation to prevent outside influence.
Modern Popes (John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis) made some procedural tweaks to speed things up if elections drag on.
Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model
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