The time-honored rituals of the papal conclave are set to begin on Wednesday, as cardinals gather to choose the successor to the late Pope Francis.
The world will learn of their decision through the age-old signals: the peal of bells and the emergence of white smoke from the Vatican, indicating the election of a new leader for the global Roman Catholic community.
The very name of this electoral assembly, "conclave," derived from the Latin "cum clave" (with a key), underscores the tradition of locking the cardinal electors within a confined space until they reach a consensus on the next Pope.
As has been the custom, the voting will take place in the Sistine Chapel, a masterpiece of Renaissance art within Vatican City.
The participating cardinals will swear a solemn oath to maintain absolute secrecy regarding the conclave's proceedings, effectively isolating themselves from all external communication.
To ensure the integrity of the election process and prevent any outside influence, the cardinals will be strictly forbidden from reading newspapers, watching television, listening to the radio, receiving mail, or using any form of electronic communication, including telephones and computers.
During the conclave, the cardinals will reside in the Saint Martha House, a modern residence within the Vatican walls, which also served this purpose during the previous papal election. Prior to 2005, their living conditions within the Apostolic Palace, the Pope’s official residence, were significantly more restrictive.
While Catholic canon law theoretically permits any baptized male Catholic to be elected Pope, in practice, the conclave will invariably choose one of the members of the College of Cardinals.
There is no official slate of candidates for the papacy. Instead, each cardinal privately writes the name of their chosen candidate on a ballot slip inscribed with the Latin phrase “Eligo in summum pontificem…” (I vote for… as Supreme Pontiff).
To further safeguard the anonymity of their choices, cardinals are encouraged to disguise their handwriting on the ballots.
Through successive rounds of voting, support for potential candidates will gradually emerge, clarifying the path towards the required two-thirds majority.
Should the cardinals fail to elect a Pope after three days of voting, the established procedure dictates a mandatory interruption of no more than one day for prayer and "informal conversation among the electors," as mandated by Pope John Paul II in his 1996 apostolic constitution "Universi Dominici Gregis" (The Lord’s Whole Flock). The most senior cardinal will then address the assembly.
Three designated urns will be used for the voting: one for the collection of the cardinals’ ballots, another for the safekeeping of the counted ballots, and a third that can be brought to any cardinals confined to Saint Martha House due to illness or frailty.
Following each ballot, the papers are strung together and burned.
While historical conclaves have occasionally stretched over extended periods, even months or years, recent papal elections have typically been concluded within a week.
Once the necessary two-thirds majority is achieved, the elected cardinal is asked whether he accepts the office of Pope.
The culmination of this process is the emission of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, the universally recognized sign that a new Pope has been elected. Subsequently, the cardinal protodeacon – at the time of Pope Francis’ death, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti – will appear on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver the traditional announcement: “Habemus papam” (We have a Pope).
