The next pope will be elected at a papal conclave , a meeting of the College of Cardinals. The authority of the pope as leader of the Catholic Church is based on the fact that he is the Bishop of Rome and successor to Peter. Since the election of the pope is reserved to the pastors of churches in either the Diocese of Rome or one of the seven adjacent or suburbicarian dioceses.
When cardinals receive their red hats, they also become titular pastors an appointment without formal authority of a parish in the Diocese of Rome or in one of the suburbicarian dioceses adjacent to Rome. It is as titular pastors of these churches that they have the authority to elect the new pope. After the death of a pope, there is a 15 day period to celebrate the funeral Mass and burial of the pope, as well as a period of mourning. Since Benedict XVI has not died, this period of mourning will not take place.
The death of a pope has been the usual time for the election of a new pontiff. The Cardinal Camerlengo takes possession of the Ring of the Fisherman, the symbol of papal authority. Then the ring and the papal seal are destroyed before the College of Cardinals. Only cardinals under the age of 80 can be electors in the conclave. There will be eligible cardinals in the conclave. On the morning designated for the beginning of the conclave, the cardinal electors will celebrate the Eucharist in St.
Upon arriving in the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals will take an oath to defend the liberty of the Holy See, to keep all the proceedings secret, and to ignore any instructions they might have received from secular authorities on how to vote. The cardinals will have to give up their cell phones and any other electronic devices. The Sistine Chapel will probably be swept, as it was in , to discover if there are any electronic listening devices. While no devices were found in , there have been instances in the past when reporters disguised as attendants to the cardinals were found in the chapel.
On the first afternoon of the conclave, the first ballot may be held. There can be as many as four ballots on each day following. Before voting on each ballot, the cardinals take an oath to follow the rules of the conclave. The Pope has also chosen the first women to oversee and advise Vatican departments, including the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Synod of Bishops' office and the congregation dedicated to religious orders.
Francis appointed the first female deputy director of the Holy See Press Office and over the summer he added a number of women scientists , including three Nobel laureates, to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
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Pope Francis has appointed the first female secretary-general of Vatican City State. Damp straw was once added to the stove to turn the smoke black, but over the years there has often been confusion over the colour of the smoke. More recently a dye has been used. If a second vote is to take place immediately, the ballots from the first vote are put on one side and then burned together with those from the second vote.
The process continues until one candidate has achieved the required majority. Pope John Paul II changed the rules of election in Previously, a candidate had to secure a majority of two-thirds to be elected pope two-thirds plus one vote if the number of cardinals does not divide by three. In , Pope Benedict passed a decree reverting back to the two-thirds majority, thus encouraging cardinals to reach consensus, rather than one bloc backing a candidate with more than half the votes and then holding out for 12 days to ensure his election.
If after three days of balloting nobody has gained the two-thirds majority, voting is suspended for a maximum of one day to allow a pause for prayer, informal discussion and what is described as "a brief spiritual exhortation" by the senior cardinal in the Order of Deacons. At the end of the election, a document is drawn up giving the results of the voting at each session, and handed over to the new pope.
It is kept in an archive in a sealed envelope, which can be opened only on the orders of the pope. The only clue about what is going on inside the Sistine Chapel is the smoke that emerges twice a day from burning the ballot papers. Black signals failure. The traditional white smoke means a new pope has been chosen. After the election of the new pope has been signalled by white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney, there will be a short delay before his identity is finally revealed to the world.
Once one candidate has attained the required majority, he is then asked: "Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff? Having given his consent, the new pope is asked: "By what name do you wish to be called? After he has chosen a name, the other cardinals then approach the new pope to make an act of homage and obedience. The new pope also has to be fitted into his new robes. The papal tailor will have prepared garments to dress a pope of any size - small, medium or large - but some last-minute adjustments may be required.
Then, from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, the traditional announcement will echo around the square: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum His name is then revealed, and the newly-elected pontiff will make his first public appearance. After saying a few words, the pope will give the traditional blessing of Urbi et Orbi - "to the city and the world" - and a new pontificate will have begun.
Cardinals summoned to Rome. Voting rituals. Reaching a decision.
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