In the upcoming conclave, the cardinal-electors will convene in the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis’s successor through a highly secretive process that could extend over several days, or even longer.
Here’s a step-by-step overview of the procedure:
Preparations:
- Before the conclave begins, the cardinal electors – those under 80 years of age – will reside in the Santa Marta guesthouse within the Vatican. During this time, they pledge not to communicate with the outside world, record any proceedings, or reveal any secrets, under the penalty of excommunication.
- On the morning the conclave starts, the cardinal electors will participate in a mass at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
- In the afternoon, dressed in their scarlet cassocks, white rochettes, and scarlet mozzettas (short capes), the cardinals will gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace. Here, they will invoke the Holy Spirit’s guidance as they begin their selection process.
- They will then proceed to the Sistine Chapel, the venue for the election, which will have been thoroughly checked for any hidden recording devices.
- The cardinal electors will take an oath, promising to faithfully carry out their role if elected and again vowing to maintain secrecy.
- The master of ceremonies will then issue the command “Extra omnes” – everyone out – and all individuals not authorized to vote will leave the Sistine Chapel.
Election:
- The masters of ceremonies will distribute ballots to the cardinal electors. Lots will be drawn to select three individuals to serve as “scrutineers” (to count the votes), three “infirmarii” (to collect votes from any cardinals who become ill), and three “revisers” (to verify the ballot count by the scrutineers).
- Cardinals will receive rectangular ballots with the Latin inscription “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as supreme pontiff”) at the top, followed by a blank space.
- Electors will write down the name of their chosen candidate for pope, ideally in a handwriting that cannot be traced back to them, and then fold the ballot paper twice.
- Each cardinal will take their turn to approach the altar, holding their folded ballot in the air so it is clearly visible, and will say aloud the following oath: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.”
- The electors will place their folded ballots on a plate, which is then used to tip the ballots into a silver urn on the altar, in front of the scrutineers. They will then bow and return to their seats.
- Cardinals who are too unwell to walk to the altar will hand their votes to a scrutineer, who will place it in the urn for them.
- If there are cardinals too sick to attend the chapel, the infirmarii will collect their ballots from their bedsides – and may even write the candidate’s name for them if necessary – before sealing the papers in a special urn and bringing them back to the chapel.
- Once all ballots have been collected, the scrutineers will shake the urn to mix the votes, transfer them to a second container to ensure the number of ballots matches the number of electors, and then begin counting.
- Two scrutineers will record the names while a third reads them aloud, piercing each ballot with a needle through the word “Eligo” and stringing them together. The revisers will then double-check the scrutineers’ count for any errors.
- If no candidate receives two-thirds of the votes, no pope has been elected, and the electors will immediately proceed to a second round of voting. There are two rounds of voting each day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – until a pope is elected.
- The ballots and any handwritten notes made by the cardinals will then be destroyed by burning them in a stove in the chapel. This stove will emit black smoke if no pope has been elected and white smoke to signal to the world that the Catholic Church has a new pope. The color of the smoke is controlled by adding specific chemicals.
- If voting continues for three days without a result, there will be a day dedicated to prayer, reflection, and dialogue. If another seven ballots are cast without a winner, there will be another pause. If the cardinals reach a fourth pause with no outcome, they can agree to vote only on the two candidates who received the most votes in the previous round, with the winner requiring a clear majority.
- Once a cardinal is elected pope, the masters of ceremonies and other non-electors will be brought back into the Sistine Chapel. The cardinal dean will ask the elected cardinal: “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” As soon as he gives his consent, he officially becomes the new Pope.
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