The Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals, the senior officials of the Catholic Church, during a gathering called the Conclave held in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican
. Key points of the election process:
- Only Cardinals under the age of 80 at the time the papacy becomes vacant are eligible to vote, with a maximum of 120 electors participating
- Any baptized Catholic male can theoretically be elected Pope, but in practice, the new Pope is almost always chosen from among the Cardinals
- Voting is done by secret ballot. Each cardinal writes the name of their chosen candidate on a ballot, folds it, and drops it into a chalice after reciting a prayer
- Four rounds of voting occur daily (two in the morning and two in the afternoon) until a candidate receives a two-thirds supermajority of the votes (e.g., at least 89 votes if there are 133 electors)
- After each round, ballots are burned in a stove inside the Sistine Chapel. Black smoke indicates no decision has been reached, while white smoke signals the election of a new Pope
- If no Pope is elected after three days, the cardinals pause for prayer and reflection before continuing voting, with further pauses and spiritual exhortations if needed
- Once a candidate receives the required two-thirds vote, the Dean of the College of Cardinals asks if he accepts the election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments
- The senior cardinal deacon then announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, and the new Pope gives his blessing to the public
This centuries-old process is designed to ensure a careful, prayerful, and secretive selection of the new leader of the Catholic Church
