How a Papal Conclave Works: The Secret Election of a New Pope

The Papal Conclave Process

• ⛪️ Roman Catholic cardinals gather in Rome to begin the secret electoral process for choosing a new pope.
• 🔒 During the conclave, held in the Sistine Chapel, cardinals are banned from communicating with the outside world, including phones, television, and the internet.

Eligibility and Participation

• 👴 Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the election.
• 🌍 Cardinal electors come from 71 countries, with Italians forming the largest national group.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Cardinals aged 80 and over can attend daily closed-door sessions called general congregations, which are organized ahead of the election.

The Voting Procedure

• ✍️ Each cardinal elector writes their choice for pope on a slip of paper in Latin, often disguising their handwriting.
• 🗳️ Votes are counted, and if a candidate receives a majority of two-thirds plus one, a new pope is elected.
• 🔄 If no candidate is elected, further votes are held. After approximately 13 days, a runoff election occurs between the two leading candidates.

Announcing the New Pope

• 🔥 The paper ballots are gathered and burned after each voting session.
• 💨 Black smoke signifies an inconclusive vote, while white smoke indicates that a new pope has been chosen.
• 📣 The world is informed of the election result when the ballots are burned with special chemicals to produce white smoke.