The death of Pope Francis at the age of 88 on Easter Monday has ushered in a solemn and historic process within the Roman Catholic Church the election of a new pope. As the governance of the Church passes to the College of Cardinals, the centuries-old rituals and rules for choosing a new pontiff are set in motion.
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the papal election, known as a conclave. These cardinal electors bishops and Vatican officials from around the world, easily recognizable in their red vestments are men chosen personally by the pope. Following a papal vacancy, they gather in the Vatican for general congregations to prepare for the election and oversee other duties, including arrangements for the deceased pope’s funeral and burial.
The conclave traditionally begins 15 to 20 days after the pope’s passing. It is held in the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinal electors take an oath of absolute secrecy. The chapel doors are then sealed, marking the beginning of the sacred process.
Each day, the cardinals hold up to four rounds of secret balloting. During voting, each cardinal processes to the altar beneath Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” fresco, offers a prayer, and places a folded ballot into a chalice. Votes are counted and recorded by three cardinals designated as scrutineers.
A two-thirds majority is required for a candidate to be elected. If no candidate reaches the threshold, the ballots are burned with special chemicals to produce black smoke a sign to the world that no pope has yet been chosen. Once a cardinal secures the required votes, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks if he accepts the position. Upon acceptance, he chooses a papal name and dons the white vestments of the pontificate.
White smoke then billows from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling the joyous news. From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the senior cardinal deacon currently French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti declares “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”), as the new leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics steps forward to bless Rome and the world.
