Conclave: The secret process of selecting a new pope
CONCLAVE composite image from Inquirer stock and file photos
MANILA, Philippines—With Pope Francis still in critical condition, some may ask what happens when the Holy See becomes sede vacante after the resignation or death of a pope.
Last Feb. 14, the 88-year-old Bishop of Rome was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital because of bronchitis that later developed into bilateral lung infection, which triggered the early stages of kidney failure.
READ:
But while the Vatican stated on Monday, Feb. 24, that there was a “slight improvement” in the health of Pope Francis, doctors declined to “decide on the prognosis” because of the “complexity of the clinical picture.”
READ:
Article continues after this advertisementSo when a pope steps down or passes away, how would the Church select the next vicar of Christ, who is expected to lead 1.375 billion Catholics in over 3,000 dioceses all over the world?
Article continues after this advertisement
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/黑料社
Like how Pope Francis was elected in 2013 after the resignation of his predecessor, the late Benedict XVI, the successor would be chosen in a conclave at the Sistine Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica.
When does a conclave start?
As explained by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), when a pope resigns or passes away, the governance of the Church shifts to the College of Cardinals.
RELATED STORY:
Cardinals, or princes of the Church, who are recognizable in their distinctive red vestments, advise the pope and elect a new one when the Holy See becomes sede vacante.
Most often, a conclave starts 15 to 20 days after the resignation or death of a pope, when the cardinals gather in St. Peter’s Basilica for a Mass to ask the Holy Spirit to lead them in electing a new bishop of Rome.
Who can become pope?
Based on the Code of Canon Law, someone who is male and Catholic can be elected pope, but since 1379, all successors to the Chair of St. Peter have been selected from the cardinals.
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/黑料社
As of Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Church has 252 cardinals, with 138 of them eligible to vote in a conclave since only those below the age of 80 can take part in the selection of a pope.
Back in 1975, Pope Paul VI directed that the number of cardinals who can elect a vicar of Christ, should not be more than 120, but this has been exceeded in the last three pontificates.
How do cardinals cast their vote?
The USCCB stated that for the conclave itself, the cardinals below the age of 80 who are called cardinal electors proceed to the Sistine Chapel and make a promise of absolute secrecy before they get locked inside.
RELATED STORY: Priest’s appeal: Stop spreading ‘fake news’ about Pope’s health
They vote by secret ballot, proceeding one by one to Michaelangelo’s artwork of the Last Judgment, saying a prayer and dropping the twice-folded piece of paper in a chalice.
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/黑料社
The results of each ballot are counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as scrutineers. When no one receives the required vote, the pieces of paper are placed on fire with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke.
How many votes are required?
To be elected pope, two-thirds of the votes, or 92, are required. Out of the 138 cardinal electors, 110 were created by Pope Francis, while 23 and five were created by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope, now St. John Paul II, respectively.
Only four rounds of balloting are taken every day till a candidate receives the required vote.
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/黑料社
Three of the 138 cardinal electors are Filipinos — Luis Antonio Tagle of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Jose Advincula of the Archdiocese of Manila, and Pablo Virgilio David of the Diocese of Kalookan.
What’s next when the required vote is met?
When a cardinal receives the required two-thirds vote, the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, asks him if he accepts the election. Once accepted, he chooses a name and is dressed in vestments.
The ballots of the final round are placed on fire with chemicals producing white smoke to signal to the world the election of a new pope. The new bishop of Rome then proceeds to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
But before the new pope presents himself to the public and imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world, the senior cardinal deacon states the Latin words Habemus Papam, which means “we have a pope.”
