How the conclave will elect the new pope

 

Shaped by centuries-old rituals, the conclave to choose a successor to the late Pope Francis is set to begin on Wednesday.

A ringing of bells will accompany puffs of white smoke announcing that a new pontiff has been chosen to lead the world’s Roman Catholics.

However, before that can happen, the conclave must be held.

The name of the election procedure derives from the Latin “cum clave” (with a key) and refers to the tradition of locking cardinals in a room until they agree upon a new pope.

As usual, voting will take place in the Michelangelo-frescoed Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

Cardinals will swear an oath of secrecy about the proceedings and seal themselves off from the world.

To prevent any outside influence from affecting the election, the men will not be allowed to read newspapers, watch television, listen to the radio, exchange mail or use telephones and computers.

During the conclave, cardinals will be housed in Saint Martha House, a residence inside the Vatican built in the 1990s also used for the previous conclave.

Before 2005, cardinals had to sleep in cramped conditions in the Apostolic Palace, the pope’s official residence.

Theoretically, any baptized male Catholic is eligible to become pope. In practice, however, the conclave will elect one of the members of the College of Cardinals.

There is no official list of candidates for the papacy. Each cardinal simply writes the name of the person he favours on a slip headed with the words “Eligo in summum pontificem… ” (I vote for … as pope).