The transition of popes, whether due to death or resignation, is a complex process steeped in centuries-old rituals that govern the change in leadership for both the spiritual leader of the global Catholic Church and the head of state of the Vatican.
As Pope Francis fights double pneumonia in the hospital, his declining health is drawing attention to the obscure process by which the Catholic Church selects its leader.
The papal "conclave," which means "locked room" in Latin, is deliberately kept mysterious. Here are some of its rules and intricacies:
Who is eligible?
Candidates must be male and baptized Catholics. While it is not a formal requirement, almost every pope has previously served as a cardinal before their election.
Who casts the votes?
The pope is elected by 120 cardinals, all of whom must be under 80 years old at the time of the previous pope's death or resignation.
As of January 22, there are 252 cardinals worldwide, with 138 meeting the age requirement. The process for selecting the 120 cardinals remains unclear. Cardinals over 80 are allowed to take part in preliminary discussions.
What is the process?
The first day of the conclave starts with a special mass. Following this, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, chanting prayers and hymns as they seek the guidance of saints and the Holy Spirit in selecting a new pope. Each cardinal places a hand on the Gospels and vows "with the greatest fidelity" to keep the details of the conclave confidential.
The master of papal liturgical celebrations, who organizes the pontiff's religious ceremonies, then announces "Extra omnes," which means "All out" in Latin. At this point, everyone except the cardinals must leave, allowing the voting to commence.
The process is shrouded in strict secrecy. According to the Archdiocese of Toronto, cardinals risk excommunication for leaking information, and the chapel is thoroughly checked for listening devices both before and after the conclave.
How do they cast their votes?
Each cardinal writes their choice on a paper that bears the Latin phrase for "I elect as supreme pontiff." They approach the altar individually and declare, "I call upon Christ the Lord, my judge, as my witness that my vote is cast for the individual whom I believe should be elected before God."
The folded ballot is placed on a round plate and then slid into an oval urn made of silver and gold. After the votes are cast, three scrutineers open the ballots one by one, recording the names and announcing them aloud.
Cardinals may keep their own tally on a provided sheet of paper, but they must submit their notes to be burned at the conclusion of the voting process.
The scrutineers tally the votes and record the results on a separate sheet, which is kept in the papal archives.
As each name is announced, the scrutineer punctures each ballot with a needle at the word "eligo" (Latin for "I choose"), then binds the ballots together with thread and ties a knot.
Afterward, the ballots are set aside and incinerated in the chapel stove, along with a chemical that produces either white or black smoke—white indicating the election of a new pope, and black indicating that no decision has been reached.
What occurs after a pope is elected?
Once a pope is chosen, the master of papal liturgical celebrations returns to the chapel, and the dean of the College of Cardinals—who oversees the conclave if they are under 80 years old—poses the question to the newly elected pope: "Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?"
If the cardinal responds with "I accept," the dean then asks, "What name do you wish to be called?" Papal names were initially intended to replace the elected pope's birth name with a more Catholic one. The first to do this was Pope John II, elected in 533, who was born Mercurius, named after the Roman god Mercury. Today, these names are often chosen as a tribute to previous popes and reflect the new pope's vision for his papacy.
The master of liturgical ceremonies records the information on an official document, while white smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St. Peter's Basilica ring out.
The newly elected pope changes into his white cassock, and one by one, the cardinals in red approach to pledge their obedience.
Before stepping out onto the loggia of the balcony that overlooks St. Peter's Square, the new pope pauses for a few moments of prayer in the Pauline Chapel. A cardinal precedes him to the balcony, announcing, "Habemus papam!" ("We have a pope!") and then introduces him to the world in Latin. Finally, the new pontiff appears and shares his first public words as pope.
