Between 15 to 20 days after the death of the previous Pope or, as in the case recently announced, after the resignation of a Pope, the Papal Conclave begins. This allows for all Cardinal electors to arrive in Rome before the start of the Conclave.

Conclave comes from the Latin, cum + clavis, literally, “locked with the key.” The term refers to the fact that the Cardinals of voting age are locked inside the Vatican until a new Roman Pontiff is elected.

With the beginning of the conclave, Cardinal electors are sealed in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. This does not mean they literally live in the Sistine Chapel. Rather they also have access to areas for liturgical celebrations and the Domus Sanctae Marthae (accommodations for the cardinals).

An important note to keep in mind: not anyone can become Pope. Rather, only a male baptized Catholic can become Pope. As well, as it should be emphasized, this is not like a local government election. Rather, the Catholic Church believes it is the Holy Spirit who guides the process and so the Cardinal electors are constantly in prayer and discernment to choose the next Pope.

As the cardinals enter into the Conclave, they swear an oath to secrecy concerning the events of the Conclave. The first day concludes with the first vote. Then, on the following days, two ballots are held in the morning and two in the afternoon until a pope is elected. The voting takes places as follows. Each Cardinal electors is given a card on which they write the name of his choice. They fold it twice and then bring it up to the altar where there is a receptacle and state, “I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.” (This also connotes the reality that this election is guided by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.) After all the votes have been put forth, they are counted, and if one person has received 2/3 of the vote, the election is complete. If not, the balloting continues later in the day. The ballots are always burned. If the ballot is inconclusive, black smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel. Following the voting, the ballots are burned. Chemicals are added to the mixture which creates either black or white smoke. Black signifies that there were not enough votes for someone to be elected pope while white means a new pope had been elected. The colored smoke alerts onlookers outdoors. If the ballot has elected a new Roman Pontiff, white smoke rises.

If the Cardinal electors do not agree on a person after three days, there is a day of rest for prayer and discussion before voting resumes. There are breaks every seven votes from then on until the 30th ballot. After the 30th ballot, only an absolute majority was needed for a valid election. But this last rule was changed in 2007 by Pope Benedict so that the 2/3 majority is nevertheless required for a valid election no matter how many ballots have been completed.

When a new pope has been elected, the Cardinal Dean or Cardinal first in order and seniority asks the elected person for his consent saying: Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff? And after the consent he also asks: By what name do you wish to be called? After the acceptance, as long as the person has already received episcopal ordination, he is immediately Bishop of the Church of Rome, true Pope, and Head of the College of Bishops. If not, he is immediately consecrated as a bishop. This same Cardinal Dean will also announce to the city of Rome and to the world the name of the new Roman Pontiff.
source

In case this topic gets to FP, help me ask if being a pope guarantees an automatic ticket to heaven


In other news... 1st to.

i was among those watching the papal enclave on tv to see if white or black smoke was coming out.

did a search for the "new" pope [benedict] on nairaland when the news of the current pope's resignation broke, before it dawned on me the site wasnt in existence at that time. (march 2005?)

or still in the fledgling stages.

Nice one

why is the pope usually italian? what kind of racist religion be this

PAGAN 9JA:
why is the pope usually italian? what kind of racist religion be this

is the present pope ben an italian or was the previou joanpaulus italian?
Besides, first and foremost d pope is bishop of rome i'll be suprised if the italian popes are few.

channel 190: its time for a black

the papacy isnt about race and sectarianism. This is the cankerworm in Nigeria and u are advocating it internationally.

I thought jega would organise election using electronic voting machine.


Off to get my inec voter card

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Nothing is done by the papal see by chance.everythin is properly orchestrated and planned by the system.sit back relax and watch hw the THE POPE(ANTICHRIST) unfolds the drama. The book of revelation has shown us who the antichrist is by telling us it will come out of the 10 kingdoms, a man of perdition who will tink to change time and laws.Even the the reformers said it e.g martin luther,calvin,etc

channel 190: its time for a black

cardinal Arinze is one of the favourites. Lets hope it turns to reality o

zikclassiq: cardinal Arinze is one of the favourites. Lets hope it turns to reality o

keep dreaming.

channel 190: the said cankerworm have been the power of nigeria, it have taken us far.
It took u.s.a far and religion is no exception

it caused d nigerian civil war and d american civil war, dat is what sectarianism does. So the race-pope adovocate shuld back off

zikclassiq: cardinal Arinze is one of the favourites. Lets hope it turns to reality o

too old, an 85yr old pope retire and a man of 81 is elected, is there sense in that?

channel 190: and it made nigeria gaint of africa and america the must developed.
the fact that we are still united in sectarianism shows how greate we are

continue to decieve yourself.

Ubenedictus: continue to decieve yourself.

yes o. lets not decieve ourselves. ^{The next pope CAN NEVER BE A BLACK MAN!}

zikclassiq: yes o. lets not decieve ourselves. ^{The next pope CAN NEVER BE A BLACK MAN!}

and there is a possibility u'll be proved wrong.