We are experiencing history as a papal conclave has assembled to elect the 267th pope. A conclave is a special election in which cardinals decide who will be the next Pope. It began on May 7, when 133 cardinals from six continents gathered in Vatican City, Italy.
The conclave is held in the Sistine Chapel, and it is a highly secretive and sacred process. The word “conclave” comes from the Latin word “cum clave”which means “with a key”. It is a reference to the ancient custom of locking the cardinals in the Chapel until a pope is chosen. This tradition began in the 13th century after one election dragged on for almost three years!
Thankfully, most modern conclaves last about three to five days. Now they are allowed to spend the nights at the Vatican guesthouse, but they are cut off from the outside world. They have no access to phones, the internet, or newspapers.
According to Church law, any baptized male Catholic can be elected pope, but actually, only cardinals are considered. He can be of any age, but only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote.
The cardinals take a solemn oath of secrecy before the cardinal places their vote on the altar. Each day, up to four ballots can be held. A candidate must get a two-thirds majority to be elected. After each ballot, the results are revealed to the world through the Chapel’s chimney. Black smoke means there was no decision, and white smoke along with ringing bells means a new pope has been elected.
Once a Pope is elected, he will be brought to the “Room of Tears”. This is a small room next to the Sistine Chapel where he will put on the white papal vestments for the first time. The cardinals then pledge their loyalty to the pope. The new pope will then appear on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He will give his first blessing to what is always an eager and excited crowd. “Habemus papam!” “We have a new pope!”
Sources:
vaticannews.va
dogonews.com
Aljazeera.com
