More than a Movie: What is a Conclave? And Other Papal Questions, Answered

(Photo: Unsplash)

Cardinals from the corners of the world are making their way to Rome to discern who the next Bishop of Rome might be, following Pope Francis’ death on Monday.

As the world turns in curiosity to the Eternal City to see who the next Vicar of Christ will be, questions abound. While the process is punctuated by secrecy in order that the cardinals may discern freely, we do have a few answers!

What is a conclave?

The oldest method of electing the head of Vatican City still in use, the papal conclave is the process by which the pope is chosen. Cardinals gather together from around the world and are locked in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican until a new pontiff is elected. In fact, the “conclave” gets its name from this locking in, coming from the Latin words meaning “with key.”

The strict process came to pass after an extraordinarily long sede vacante (empty seat, referring to the Chair of Peter or the papacy) period. After the death of Clement IV in the thirteenth century, it took nearly three years to select a successor! Only a few decades later, another 2-year-long period without a pope led to the adoption of strict conclave rules.

In this gathering, the cardinal electors pray, discern and discuss who the Holy Spirit might be calling to become the next pope. These electors must be under the age of 80, according to rules put in effect by Pope St. Paul VI in 1970.

Who can be pope?

Technically speaking, there are only two requirements for the papal office: being male and having been baptized into the Catholic Church.

Before any men set about becoming the next Pontiff, it should be noted that a non-cardinal has not been chosen since 1378. While it may be a fun thought experiment, the likelihood that a non-cardinal would assume the Chair of Peter is very low!

What is a cardinal?

The fact that cardinals have been the ones elected to the papacy for the last nearly 700 years begs the question: what’s a cardinal?

More than a pretty red bird, these “princes of the Church,” as they are sometimes called, are priests and bishops freely chosen by the pope and recognized as “especially outstanding in doctrine, morals, piety and prudence in action” to become cardinals (Code of Canon Law, 351 §1). If a man is named a cardinal and has not been ordained a bishop, he “must receive episcopal consecration,” the Code of Canon Law says.

These cardinals are “a special college” that votes on the next Roman Pontiff and works alongside the Holy Father as a college when they are called together, or “individually when they help the Roman Pontiff through the various offices they perform, especially in the daily care of the universal Church” (Code of Canon Law, 349).

How do we get a new pope?

After they are locked inside the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals begin discerning, discussing and voting.

Every cardinal writes his choice on a piece of paper and folds it in two. Then, the votes are tallied, rechecked and burned. The smoke from the burned ballots is released through a chimney, visible from St. Peter’s Square.

The election process continues until a new pope is elected by a two-thirds majority.

Some conclaves are shorter than others, depending on the consensus among the cardinals. In the thirteenth century, after new rules were imposed, the conclave took one day! Since 1831, there has not been a conclave that lasted longer than one week.

How do we know a new pope has been elected?

For those of us outside of the Sistine Chapel, the papal conclave is a moment of intense anticipation. Who will the next pope be? What’s happening in there? When will we know?

Because of the secrecy of the process, many of these questions go unanswered. That is, until the iconic white smoke rises out of the chimney.

When a two-thirds majority is not reached, the burned ballots produce black smoke, signaling to the universal Church, waiting with bated breath, that a new pontiff has not been elected.

By contrast, when the majority is reached, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks the man elected if he will accept the papal office. Once the man accepts, he is asked for his papal name.

Once a new pope is elected and accepts, the smoke from the burned ballots is made white with a chemical compound, symbolically telling the faithful that a new Bishop of Rome has been elected. The bells of St. Peter’s may also be rung, as was done in 2005 upon the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

What happens when we see the white smoke?

The Church rejoices! I remember, as a high school senior in 2013, watching with giddy anticipation as the white smoke rose to the heavens. A small group and I were supposed to be working on preparations for a high school competition, but I couldn’t help but find myself glued to the live feed from the Vatican as we awaited our new spiritual father.

On a more practical level, once the white smoke emerges, the new pontiff dresses in a white cassock and greets the cardinals.

From there, he proceeds to a balcony at St. Peter’s, where he is introduced by another cardinal who tells the Church gathered in St. Peter’s Square and around the world, “Habemus papam!” or “We have a pope!”

After being introduced, the new pontiff may offer brief remarks and then offer his first papal blessing to those in attendance — either in person or via various telecommunications around the world.

Some may remember Pope Francis’ first comments, asking the Church for her prayers as he took the helm of the Barque of Peter, the Church.

Why do popes change their names?

The tradition has a long history, dating back to the sixth century, when a man was elected who was named for the Roman god Mercury.

His given name posed a serious problem for the Church: how could the Vicar of Christ be named after a pagan deity?

To solve the problem, Mercurius changed his name to John II and began a longstanding tradition.

Of course, the practice of changing names in conjunction with a new mission also has biblical roots, as seen in the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Peter and Paul.

The new papal name is at the discretion of the new pope and is often chosen from among the Communion of Saints. John, Benedict and Gregory are among the most popular ones chosen, having been selected 23 and 16 times (Benedict and Gregory are tied!).

Why do popes wear white?

Another longstanding tradition, the iconic white cassock of the Holy Father may have come about by happenstance.

In 1276, the College of Cardinals elected a Dominican friar to the papal office. During his pontificate, Innocent V chose to continue wearing his order’s habit, a simple white cassock coupled by a white mozzetta or a short shoulder cape also worn by Dominicans.

The well-known and respected scholar and preacher set the tone — whether intentionally or unintentionally — for his successors, who quickly made the daily attire the norm.

Has there ever been an American pope?

Before 2013, the papal conclave had never elected a pope from outside of Europe! Of course, in the early Church, numerous popes hailed from the Middle East and Africa, but since the conclave procedure was established, Pope Francis is the only pope to be elected from outside of Europe.

So, in some sense, Pope Francis is the first “American” pope because he is from the Americas. But, either way, there has never been a pope elected from the United States.