The election of a pope is conducted through a process called the papal conclave, involving the College of Cardinals who are under 80 years old. Here's how it works:
The Conclave and Voting Process
- About 120 cardinal electors gather in the Sistine Chapel, isolated to prevent outside influence
- Each cardinal writes the name of their chosen candidate on a ballot that says in Latin "Eligo in Summum Pontificem" ("I elect as Supreme Pontiff")
- They fold the ballot, say a prayer aloud, and drop it into a chalice on the altar
- Four rounds of voting happen daily (two in the morning, two in the afternoon) until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority, which is typically at least 89 votes out of 133 electors
- After each round, ballots are counted aloud by designated cardinals and then burned. Black smoke signals no decision, white smoke signals a new pope has been elected
Additional Details
- If no pope is elected after three days, voting pauses for prayer and reflection before resuming
- If after many rounds no decision is reached, voting may be limited to the top two candidates, and they themselves cannot vote
- Once a candidate receives the required votes, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks if he accepts. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is vested in papal garments
- The new pope then appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope")
Eligibility
- Any baptized male Catholic can technically be elected pope, but traditionally the pope is chosen from among the cardinals
- Upon election, the pope must be ordained as a bishop if not already one
The entire process is conducted with strict secrecy and no communication with the outside world is allowed during the conclave to maintain integrity and focus on prayerful discernment
. In summary, the pope is elected by a secret ballot of cardinal electors in a conclave, requiring a two-thirds majority, with rounds of voting and signaling by smoke until a new pope is chosen and publicly announced
