WCNC Charlotte’s VERIFY team breaks down the conclave process at the Vatican.
VATICAN CITY, — The anticipation is mounting as 133 Roman Catholic cardinals from around the world gather behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel to begin the sacred and secretive process of electing a new pope.
The start of the papal conclave, steeped in ancient tradition and bound by strict rules of secrecy, marks one of the most important moments for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Cardinals have checked into Vatican accommodations, surrendered their phones and electronic devices, and are now completely cut off from the outside world.
“This is one of the most important times in the selection of a new pope,” senior analyst for Religion News Service Rev. Tom Reese said. “This is the time that the cardinals get together, and get to know each other. Some of them don’t know each other very well, and so there’s a lot of meetings.”
So how does the process work moving forward?
OUR SOURCES:
THE QUESTION:
THE ANSWER:
According to Canon Law, any unmarried, baptized Catholic male is technically eligible to become pope. However, the papacy has been held exclusively by cardinals for more than 600 years.
THE QUESTION:
Do popes need to change their name?
THE ANSWER:
Once a pope is elected, one of his first official acts is choosing a new name. Although popes may keep their birth names, none have done so in the last 470 years. The name change is symbolic, often honoring past pontiffs or signaling the new pope’s vision for his leadership.
THE QUESTION:
How long does the conclave process last?
THE ANSWER:
The conclave proceeds with four rounds of voting, all conducted in silence inside the Sistine Chapel.
“Once it really starts, there will be two votes in the morning, two votes in the afternoon,” Reese said. “And this is done in the Sistine Chapel in total silence except for the counting of the votes.”
Voting continues until a two-thirds majority is reached, at which point white smoke will rise from the Sistine Chapel chimney—signaling to the world that a new pope has been chosen.
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