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Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
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Electing a new pope: FAQs
CBC News Online | April
2005
Following is a brief explanation of the process used in a conclave to elect a
new pope.
Q: Who governs the church until a new pope is elected?
A: Day-to-day operations are handled by the Vatican curia, the central
bureaucracy. All prelates who head Vatican agencies resign after the death of a
pope. Provisions are made to oversee the papal household, the spiritual needs of
Romans and to grant absolutions.
Q: What does the word "conclave" mean?
A: The word comes from the Latin, "with a key," referring to the tradition of
locking the doors until cardinals elect a winner.
Q: Who is eligible to be elected pope?
A: Technically, any baptized male Catholic is eligible but since 1378, new popes
have come from within the College of Cardinals.
Q: Who sets the rules for how a pope is elected?
A: A 1996 document by Pope John Paul II, "Universi Dominici Gregis," lays out
the framework for the conclave. Other details and traditions have evolved over
time.
Q: What language is used in a conclave?
A: Traditionally, Latin has been the lingua franca of the church.
However, with a global church, Latin has fallen away. While some details already
call for Latin – "extra omnes!" (all out!) is used to shoo everyone out of the
Sistine Chapel – others will likely be replaced by Italian, Spanish, English or
any of the above.
Q: Does a conclave ever convene for any other reason?
A: No. Any pope can call together cardinals for advice or any other purpose, but
a conclave is only used to elect a pope.
Q: Who may participate in a conclave?
A: There are 117 cardinals who are under the age of 80 and thus eligible to
participate in the conclave. Older retired cardinals may participate in
discussions leading up the conclave but may not vote. Two cardinals were absent
from the conclave because of illness.
Q: Are women or laypeople involved?
A: Outside of cooks or housekeepers, no. Only cardinals – who by definition are
male priests – may participate.
Q: Who are the Canadians who will participate?
A: There are three Canadian cardinals who are eligible to participate. They are:
Cardinal Marc Ouellett, the Archbishop of Quebec
Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, the Archbishop of Montreal
Cardinal Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic, the Archbishop of Toronto
Two other Canadian cardinals are too old to vote.
Q: Is the conclave open to the public?
A: Absolutely not. The voting is conducted behind closed-doors under the
tightest security. The conclave is closed to allow the cardinals to cast their
votes without outside influence or pressure. Anyone associated with the conclave
must take a vow of secrecy.
Q: Where is the conclave held?
A: Voting is held inside the Sistine Chapel, under Michelangelo's famous
ceiling. Cardinals will stay in the Casa Santa Marta, a $20-million hotel-style
residence inside the Vatican walls built by Pope John Paul II. Cardinals may not
leave the Vatican grounds until a conclave concludes.
Q: What are the factors likely to influence the voting?
A: Officially, the church says only the Holy Spirit will influence the results.
But church watchers say a new pope will win based on several criteria: age,
nationality, life experience, personality, and positions on major issues facing
the church.
Q: Are overt campaigning or backroom deals allowed?
A: After the death of a pope, discussions prior to the conclave are expected,
but campaigning is discouraged. Paper ballots are cast in silence, leaving
discussions and arguments to be held outside the Sistine Chapel. Alliances are
natural, but cardinals are forbidden to buy votes or make deals; John Paul II
said his successor would not be bound by promises made prior to the election.
Q: When does the voting occur?
A: The first ballot may be held on the first afternoon of the conclave following
morning Mass. After that, there are two ballots in the morning and two ballots
in the afternoon until a pope is elected.
Q: How long does the voting continue?
A: Ballots are cast until a winner receives the necessary two-thirds majority.
After three days of unsuccessful balloting, cardinals take a break and resume
after a short spiritual talk. Voting then continues for another seven votes,
followed by another break, and an additional round of seven votes. After about
30 ballots or about 12 days, the cardinals may vote to waive the two-thirds
requirement and elect a pope with an absolute majority.
Q: Who counts the ballots?
A: The conclave features elaborate voting and vote-counting procedures to
prevent fraud. Cardinals are selected by lot to count and double-count the
ballots and collect votes from sick cardinals.
Q: How does a cardinal become pope once he is elected?
A: Simply by answering "I accept" to the question, "Do you accept your canonical
election as supreme pontiff?" (In the unlikely event that the new pope is not
already a bishop, he must first be consecrated a bishop by the cardinals.)
Q: Can a pope refuse his election?
A: Technically, yes, although it has been centuries since any cardinal has done
so. In 1271, St. Philip Benizi fled the conclave and hid until another man was
elected. St. Charles Borromeo declined election in the 16th century, and
Cardinal Robert Bellarmine did the same in the 17th century.
Q: How does a pope choose his papal name?
A: Simply put, he takes whatever name he chooses. There is no law that mandates
a new name, but the practice has been standard for about the last 1,000 years.
Some honour a favorite saint or a beloved pope. Others honour their predecessors
– John Paul II followed John Paul I, who succeeded Paul VI and John XXIII. The
only name that is sacrosanct is Peter, the first pope.
Q: What does the white smoke mean?
A: Ballots are burned in a special stove, whose chimney is visible to onlookers
in St. Peter's Square. Black smoke means there is no winner; white smoke means a
new pope has been elected. The only record of the voting is a document prepared
at the end of the election. It is given to the new pope and placed in a sealed
envelope in the archives, only to be opened with papal permission.
Q: How does the world know a new pope is elected?
A: After white smoke swirls up for the chimney, a senior cardinal will announce
from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum.
Habemus papam" – "I announce to you news of great joy. We have a pope."
Q: What is the new pope's first official act?
A: By tradition, after changing into his white papal vestments, the pope
delivers his first "urbi et orbi" blessing to the city of Rome and the world.
Q: What are the official ceremonies following the election?
A: About a week after his election, the new pope will celebrate his installation
Mass inside St. Peter's. The new pope will also take possession of his
cathedral, St. John Lateran, as bishop of Rome.
c. 2005 Religion News Service