Any baptized Catholic male is canonically eligible to be elected pope. The candidate does not need to be a cardinal, priest, or bishop at the time of election; however, if the elected person is not already a bishop, he must be immediately ordained as one to assume the papacy
. Practically, though, it is extremely unlikely that anyone other than a cardinal, who is already a bishop, would be elected, given the extensive experience and recognition required within the Church
. Women are not eligible because the Catholic Church holds that only men can be validly ordained
. The election is conducted by the College of Cardinals under the age of 80, who vote in a conclave requiring a two-thirds majority to elect the new pope
. The conclave is a secretive process held in the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals vote multiple times daily until a candidate receives the necessary votes
. In summary, the formal requirements to be elected pope are:
- Male
- Baptized Catholic
- Willing to be ordained bishop if not already one
- Possess the use of reason
Informally, the candidate is almost always a cardinal with significant Church experience
