With the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church is set to begin a process to elect a new pope and bishop of Rome. The process has been used and refined over two centuries. This is because papal succession dates back to the time of Jesus, who selected Peter as the first pope. Since then, there have been 266 popes, and a 267th will soon be elected.

Mourning and Gathering of the College of Cardinals

Following the death of a pope, the Catholic Church enters a period of mourning which lasts 15 to 20 days. This mourning period is similar to the mourning periods we see when other monarchs die. The British Royal Family, as an example, had a period of mourning following Queen Elizabeth’s death until seven days after her funeral.

After the mourning period, a group convenes at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. This group is known as the College of Cardinals. A cardinal is a senior leader of the Catholic Church, appointed by a pope, to lead and govern a specific area. The College of Cardinals are all cardinals under the age of 80. There are currently 138 of these cardinals. They first begin the process by celebrating a Mass to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they begin the process of selecting a pope. Then, they move to the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of absolute secrecy.

The Conclave

Once all cardinals are in the Sistine Chapel and have taken the oath, the Papal Master of Ceremonies will cry out “Extra omnes!” which means “Everybody out!” The chapel doors are sealed and locked to outsiders, and the conclave begins. They start the process by having a required meditation, and then the first ballot is taken.  All conclave votes are a secret ballot. Each cardinal deposits his ballot into a large chalice. A pope need not be a cardinal to be elected. However, the last pope who was not a cardinal was Pope Urban VI in the 14th century, so it is almost certain the new pope will be a cardinal.

The ballots are then removed, counted aloud, and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders. A pope must receive two-thirds of the vote to be elected. A pope has not been elected on the first ballot in centuries. It is likely that the first ballot in this conclave will not result in the election of a pope. If the vote didn’t result in the election of a pope, the ballots are burned with a mixture of chemicals that will produce black smoke. Black smoke signifies to the public that a vote was taken, but a new pope was not elected.

The first vote is typically the only vote of the first day. After that, the cardinals eat a meal, pray, and discuss together. All the events, discussions, and even the counts of the votes are secret and not released to the public. The media often reports about speculative vote tallies, but these are always unconfirmed, and given the small group of people in the sealed doors, they might often be inaccurate. While campaigning to be pope is not allowed, discussions among the cardinals do happen. The goal is not supposed to be political but rather about receiving guidance and discerning the will of the Holy Spirit.

Each day after the first, a total of up to four votes are taken during the day. The votes follow the same anonymous process, and black smoke is released each time a vote occurs without the election of a pope. When one person receives the two-thirds vote necessary to be elected pope, they are asked to accept the election. If they accept the election, then a new pope is chosen. To signify the election of a new pope, the ballots are burned with a different mix of chemicals. This results in white smoke rising from the chimney. In addition, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica are sounded to signify the election of the pope.

The new pope must choose his regnal name, a tradition dating back to the 6th century when Mercurius did not want to use a pagan name for his papacy and styled himself Pope John II. The new pope will also be dressed in papal vestments. The senior cardinal deacon will announce from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, “Habemus Papam”, which is Latin for “we have a pope.” In the last conclave, this declaration was also posted on the Vatican website. The new pope will process onto the balcony and impart a blessing.

The Aftermath

In the days that follow the election, a date will be set for the inauguration of the pope. Leaders from around the world will travel to the Vatican, and crowds of the public will gather. The new pope will then celebrate Mass. Royals from around the world often attend the inauguration. In the weeks after the inauguration, the pope will also be formally installed as the bishop of Rome. From there, the new pope then serves as the head of the Catholic Church and monarch for the Vatican until his death or resignation, at which point the conclave process begins again.