A new Pope is elected by a conclave.
What is a conclave?
A conclave is a gathering of Cardinals to elect a new Pope. Cardinals must be under the age of 80 in order to participate in the conclave.
The conclave must begin within 20 days of the papal vacancy.
How long does the conclave last?
The conclave will last as long as it takes to elect a new Pope. Historically, the shortest conclave was one day and the longest was three years.
How does the conclave work?
Days in the conclave are divided into a morning session and an afternoon session. There is one vote per session. If a candidate receives two thirds of the vote (a super majority) he is elected as the next Pope.
What happens once a new Pope is elected?
First, the Cardinals ask him if he accepts. If he accepts, then the Cardinals ask him what his papal name will be. After accepting, he becomes the Pope and ushered into the Room of Tears to put on his new vestments.
What's up with the smoke?
The smoke is how the conclave let's the world know whether a new Pope has been selected. After each round of voting, they burn the ballots. They add chemicals to the ballots to produce different colors of smoke. Black smoke means no new Pope yet. White smoke means a new Pope has been selected!
Additional Resources
If you would like to read more, a number of fantastic resources are available.
- Focus has released a spectacular illustrated guide on the conclave:
- Illustrated Guide to the Conclave
- Aleteia has produced a great article that provides the details and some historical background:
- How is a New Pope Elected?
- And a website called Electing the Pope also provides a wealth of resources and knowledge on the subject:
- Electing the Pope
Keep Pursuing
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