In Roman Catholicism, a conclave is an assembly of the College of Cardinals to elect a new pope
. The term "conclave" comes from the Latin phrase cum clave , meaning "with a key"
. During this process, the cardinals are locked away from the outside world to focus entirely on choosing the best person to lead the church
. Key aspects of a papal conclave:
- Purpose The main purpose of the conclave is to appoint the Bishop of Rome, also known as the Pope, who Catholics believe is the successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church
- Exclusion During the conclave, cardinals are not allowed to communicate with the outside world and stay in a secluded area within Vatican City
. The proceedings of the conclave are kept secret, and the cardinals take an oath to maintain this secrecy
- Location Conclaves are held in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City
- Voting A two-thirds supermajority vote is required to elect a new pope
. After each vote, smoke signals from the Vatican indicate whether a pope has been elected; black smoke signifies no election, while white smoke indicates a new pope
- Beginning Between the vacancy of the Apostolic See and the beginning of the Conclave, no less than 15 and no more than 20 days may pass
