Papal Conclave: The Pope’s Election

Papal Conclave is the process of electing the new pope among the College of Cardinals. Pope is considered to be the head of the Catholic Church around the world. He is the leader of over 1.2 billion Catholics and is revered.

Pope is also referred to as the Bishop of Rome

The Papal Conclave usually happens after the death of the incumbent pope or his resignation. The selection process is not something new. It has been in place for centuries, though there have been changes done to it by different popes from time to time.

Conclave in Latin means “with key”. This refers to the fact that the Conclave happens in secrecy behind closed doors.

In this article, we will talk about the Papal Conclave and how the pope selection process works in the present day.

College of Cardinals

Cardinals are the senior-most members of the clergy of the Church. They are considered only second to the pope. The College of Cardinals is the group of Cardinals that help in electing the pope among them as part of the Papal Conclave, acting as his counselors, and governing the Roman Catholic Church around the world. 

Cardinals don’t need to be bishops. Currently, there are 220 cardinals as part of the College of Cardinals.

The College of Cardinals was created in 1059

Papal Conclave: Events from the past

The election of the pope has been a matter of debate for centuries. Many changes have been done in the process by the various popes. There have been multiple instances where a certain rule created by a pope has been revoked by his successor(s).

Some of the historical facts relating to the Papal Conclave are discussed here.

• Pope Gregory X laid the rule during the Second Council of Lyons in 1274 that the electors will be locked away in seclusion till a new pope is not selected. This rule was made to maintain secrecy and laid the foundation for the present-day Conclave.
• Pope Gregory XV was the first pope to lay the rule that a 2/3^rd majority is required to elect a pope. This rule is still in place.
• Pope Paul VI in 1970 stated that the electors with the age of 80 before the conclave will not be allowed to participate in the Conclave.
• Pope John Paul II tweaked the above rule to state that the electors who have attained the age of 80 before the papal vacancy will not be allowed to participate in the Conclave.
• Initially, the pope was appointed by the clergy of the Diocese of Rome. Thereafter, the people gave their approval/disapproval.
• Pope Nicholas II in Nomine Domini (papal bull) wrote that the cardinals shall elect the pope who will take office only after receiving assent from clergy and laity. The bull was issued in 1059.
• According to the Second Council of the Lateran in 1139, restriction to take assent from clergy and laity was removed.
• Initially, different cardinals (bishops, priests, deacons) had different voting rights. According to the Third Council of the Lateran in 1179, equal rights were given to every cardinal in the College of Cardinals.
• Pope Urban VI was the last pope to be elected from outside the College of Cardinals. He was elected in 1378.
• Pope Leo X was not an ordained priest or deacon when he became pope in 1513. He was the last pope in such a category.

As women cannot be ordained per the Church, they are not eligible for the papacy.

Pope does not necessarily need to be an Italian.

• Pope Pius XII in 1945 removed the prohibition of cardinal voting for himself. He also eliminated the process of signed ballots. By removing the prohibition, the required majority increased from two-third to two-third plus one.
• Pope John Paul II revoked the decision of Pope Pius XII relating to the majority of votes and reverted it to two-third. He stated that a two-thirds majority is required till 33 ballots (34, if there is voting on the first day of the Conclave). Thereafter, an absolute majority will suffice to elect the pope. Pope Benedict XVI overturned the decision of the absolute majority in 2007 making a two-thirds majority necessary for the pope’s election.
• Over the years, one among the following four methods has been used to elect a pope:
  • Accessus – The cardinals could change their most recent vote to help a candidate win when he is near a two-thirds majority. 
  • Acclamation – The cardinals could unanimously elect a new pope. 
  • Compromise – The College of Cardinals could delegate the task of electing a new pope to a committee of cardinals.
  • Scrutiny – College of Cardinals will cast secret ballots to elect a pope. This is the currently used method.

Universi Dominici Gregis abolished the methods of Acclamation and Compromise in 1996.

• In the initial years, Roman monarchs played a crucial role in appointing the pope. As per the rules, the monarch had control over the elections. The church had to notify the emperor of the elections and request his confirmation for the pope-elect. This rule was tweaked by Emperor Constantine IV. As per the new rule, the church just had to notify the emperor of the pope-elect.
• After Pope Gregory VII, the rule of any interference from the Roman Empire was removed, though the oath of fealty had to be taken towards the Roman Emperor.
• Pope Gregory X laid down stringent rules for papal election inclusive of seclusion and limited meals.
• Since 1846, Sistine Chapel has been used for the Conclave.
• The Cardinals stay at Domus Sanctae Marthae during the Conclave.

Death or Resignation of the Pope

In the case of the death of the pope, it is verified by cardinal camerlengo. The cardinal camerlengo then takes possession of the Ring of Fisherman and destroys it with the papal seal in front of the College of Cardinals. This is done to depict the end of the pope’s reign and also to avoid any kind of forgery. 

After the death, all cardinals should attend the general congregation. The congregation is important as it arranges for the pope’s burial. Apart, they also discuss and mark the date for the start of the Papal Conclave. After the pope’s death, there is a nine-day mourning period. The Papal Conclave begins on the 15^th day and at max after 20 days from the day of the death of the pope. This gives time to all the cardinals to gather in the Vatican for the Conclave.

In case of resignation, cardinal camerlengo takes possession of the Ring of Fisherman and marks a cross with a hammer and chisel, thus disfiguring it. This again happens in front of the College of Cardinals.

The Ring of Fisherman refers to St. Peter (one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ) who was a fisherman.

Pre Papal Conclave events

There are some events and rules before the Conclave begins. On the morning of the day of the commencement of the Papal Conclave, the cardinals celebrate the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. 

In the afternoon of the same day, all the cardinals gather in the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace (official residence of the pope). They then proceed towards the Sistine Chapel singing Litany of Saints (formal prayer of Roman Catholic Church) and Veni Creator Spiritus (invoking the Holy Spirit). The cardinals then take an oath as per the Apostolic constitution. The senior-most cardinal reads out the oath while the other cardinals repeat it by touching the Gospels.

2 sermons are delivered, one before entering the Conclave and the other once the cardinals are settled inside the Sistine Chapel. The sermons are delivered to apprise the cardinals about the current state of the Church and what all duties a pope can undertake.

Once the cardinals are settled down in the Sistine Chapel, the Master of Liturgical Celebrations asks all the people apart from cardinal electors to exit the Chapel (Extra Omnes).

A nurse at max can accompany a sick cardinal. Also, two doctors are allowed with minimal housekeeping staff. 

In the most recent papal conclave, the Sistine Chapel was swept to identify any microphones or media devices that can jeopardize the secrecy of the election process. WiFi access is also restricted and wireless signal jammers are in place.

An ecclesiastic can deliver a speech regarding the problems in the church. He then leaves the Chapel.

The secretary of the College of Cardinals, the master of papal liturgical celebrations, two masters of ceremonies, two officers of the Papal Sacristy, and an ecclesiastic assisting the dean of the College of Cardinals are also allowed within the Conclave. Priests are also available to listen to any confessions.

Although the cardinals are not allowed to interact with the outside world during the Conclave, three cardinal electors are chosen to interact in case of an emergency.

Papal Conclave: The voting process

On the day of the commencement of the Conclave, a ballot can take place in the afternoon. It is not required though.

Thereafter, there are four ballots every day i.e. two in the morning and two in the afternoon. 

Before the voting, an oath is taken by the cardinals to obey the rules of the Conclave.

After three days of voting, the next day is suspended for prayer. The senior-most cardinal deacon also delivers a note on the day.

Seven ballots are allowed thereafter. The next day is again suspended for prayer and a note by the senior cardinal-priest.

Again, seven ballots are allowed and the next day is suspended. The next day is again suspended for the prayer and a note by the senior-most cardinal-bishop.

A maximum of seven ballots commence thereafter. If the pope is not yet selected, the next day is reserved for prayer and dialogue between the cardinals.

The next voting is considered between the two cardinals who have received the highest number of votes in the previous ballot. A 2/3^rd majority is still needed for the selection.

The voting process is based on the Scrutiny method which has been highlighted above in this article. There are three phases of the method:

Papal Conclave: Pre-scrutiny

The masters of ceremonies create ballot papers for the cardinal. These have Eligo in Summum Pontificem (I elect as supreme pontiff) written on it. The ballot papers are then distributed to each cardinal elector. After the papers are distributed, the masters of ceremonies, secretary of the College of Cardinals, and master of papal liturgical celebrations exit the Chapel. The junior-most cardinal deacon then closes the door. 

The junior cardinal deacon then draws out 9 names from the lot. The 1^st three cardinals become the scrutineers, the 2^nd three cardinals become the infirmarii, and 3^rd three cardinals become the revisers.

The 9 names are again drawn out for the 3^rd and 4^th ballot of the day if required.

Pala Conclave: Scrutiny

After the cardinals have written the name of their choice, they proceed towards the altar as per the age precedence. Before depositing the ballot paper, the cardinal takes an oath. If any cardinal is not able to proceed to the altar due to infirmity, one of the scrutineers proceeds towards the concerned cardinal and takes his ballot paper which has the vote. The oath is required for that cardinal too. The ballot papers are deposited in the chalice.

If any cardinal is confined to his room due to health issues, an infirmarii goes to the concerned cardinal’s room and takes his vote through ballot paper. He then puts it in a box and returns to the Chapel where the voting is in progress. The ballots are checked and counted to see if their number is the same as the number of cardinals. The votes are added to the chalice/receptacle.

The voting today is anonymous and the respective ballot paper does not contain the signature of the cardinal. In earlier times, the signature and motif of the cardinal were required on the ballot paper which was further sealed using the wax.

Pope Pius XII made the change of secret ballot without the signature in 1945.

Pope John Paul II, during his tenure, made the change that after 33 ballots (34 ballots in case of a ballot on the first day), a simple majority is required to elect a pope. This rule was revoked by Pope Benedict XVI and a 2/3^rd majority was kept in all the cases.

Once all the votes are cast, the 1^st scrutineer shakes the chalice/receptacle and the last scrutineer takes out the votes and counts them. If the number of ballot papers does not correspond to the number of cardinals, they are burned and the voting is repeated.

In case the votes are equal, the voting process is continued. Each ballot paper is unfolded by the 1^st scrutineer and given to the next. All the scrutineers write the name of the cardinal voted and the last scrutineer reads out the name loud.

Papal Conclave: Post-scrutiny

Once the names are written down by the scrutineers, the votes are added for each cardinal voted for. The three revisers count the ballot papers and also tally the names written on the scrutineers’ list. If there is no discrepancy, the votes are counted for the 2/3^rd majority. If there is no clear winner, the next voting process happens immediately. In case the second voting process is done and there is no clear winner, all the ballots are burned.

The smoke from the burning of ballot papers defines if the pope is selected or not. If there is black smoke, the pope is not yet selected. In the case of white smoke, a new pope is selected.

Over the years, there have been ways to produce white and black smoke. In the recent most Conclave, specific chemicals were added to produce the color of smoke.

Black smoke – potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and Sulphur

White smoke – potassium chlorate, lactose, and pine rosin.

Post-election

Post-election, the cardinal dean asks for the secretary of the College of Cardinals and the master of papal liturgical celebrations to enter the Chapel. The dean then asks the pope-elect if he agrees to the election. The pope can say “no”.

If the pope-elect is a bishop, he is automatically eligible to take the office. In case the cardinal is a priest, then he is required to be consecrated as the bishop by the dean of cardinals. If he is neither priest nor bishop, the dean will consecrate him as a deacon, then priest, and finally the bishop. Only after becoming a bishop can a cardinal become the pope.

Since 533, the popes have decided on their regal name. After the election, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks the pope-elect for his papal name. The dean asks – Quo nomine vis vocari?

Once the election is over, the officials are allowed to enter the Chapel. The master of papal liturgical celebrations writes a document regarding the papal acceptance and the papal name.

Before 1963, there was a tradition of using canopied thrones by the College of Cardinals. When a pope was selected, the other cardinals would lower down their canopies while the pope-elect keeps his one intact. This tradition had to be done away with as the cardinals’ number increased over time.

After the basic formalities are completed, the newly elected pope goes to the Room of Tears and dresses. He chooses from robes like a white cassock, rochet, and red mozetta. He also dons a gold chain pectoral cross, red and gold embroidered stole, and papal zucchetto on his head. It can be noted that the dress donned by the pope may not necessarily contain all the mentioned elements.

The Room of Tears is a small room next to the Sistine Chapel. It is named after considering the strong emotions felt by the new pope.

The senior cardinal deacon then announces the election of the new pope, his baptismal name, and papal name to the crowd gathered outside St. Peter Square. The new pope finally appears from the balcony of St. Peter’s Cathedral and showers his blessings (Urbi et Orbi).

This marks the end of the Papal Conclave.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the present pope under the papal name, Pope Francis.