Understanding the conclave : A mix of tradition, pageantry and practical necessity

May 09, 2025

The Origins and Process of the Papal Conclave
The method of electing a pope has evolved significantly over the centuries. During the first millennium, various approaches were used, but the process gradually became more structured, increasingly narrowing the group of electors. A major turning point came in 1179, when Pope Alexander III formally established that only cardinals would be authorised to vote in papal elections, defining the electoral college as it is recognised today.

The word “conclave,” now synonymous with the papal election, has its roots in the Latin com (together) and clavis (key). It underscores the intense secrecy surrounding the process, as cardinals are locked away, literally “with a key,” until they reach a decision.

This tradition began in dramatic fashion in 1268, following the death of Pope Clement IV. Nineteen cardinals gathered in the town of Viterbo, about 70 kilometres north of Rome, but were unable to agree on a successor for nearly three years. Frustrated by the delay, the local population confined the cardinals to a locked room, reducing their meals to bread and water and even removing the roof of the building to pressure them into a decision. In 1271, they finally elected Gregory X, who, evidently convinced by the method’s effectiveness, officially established the conclave as the standard procedure for papal elections at the Second Council of Lyon in 1274.

Over the subsequent eight centuries, the conclave has remained remarkably consistent, with only modest changes. The most significant update came in 1970, when Pope Paul VI pic decreed that only cardinals under the age of 80 could participate as electors and set a theoretical maximum of 120 voting cardinals.

Today, the conclave is convened during the interregnum (the period between the death of a pope and the election of his successor), also known by the Latin term sede vacante, meaning “vacant seat.” The pope’s body lies in state for three to five days, giving time for public mourning. The funeral Mass and burial typically occur between the fourth and sixth day after death. Although formal deliberations are delayed until after the funeral out of respect, conversations among cardinals and potential candidates often begin discreetly beforehand, as discussions about the qualities needed in the next pontiff naturally emerge.

Typically held 15 to 20 days after the pope’s passing, the conclave marks a solemn yet pivotal moment for the Catholic Church. Behind the sealed doors, amid prayer and debate, the cardinals cast their votes, guided by tradition, faith, and the weight of history.

What’s a cardinal?
Cardinals are the highest-ranking clergy of the Catholic Church, after the pope. Originally, cardinals were the princes of the papal court. They often came from the powerful families of the Papal States. They wear red as a sign of their willingness to shed their blood for the pope and the Church.

Only the pope can make a clergy member a cardinal and, once appointed, they typically hold that title and position for life. As cardinals, they serve as advisors to the pope, regardless of where they reside and often hold elevated positions within the Vatican.

Any member of the Catholic clergy can be a cardinal but the appointment is traditionally reserved for high-ranking clergy such as bishops and archbishops. The pope reserves the right to make any member of the Church a cardinal, including laity. Francis expanded the College of Cardinals beyond the large dioceses and archdioceses to create geographic and cultural diversity and to better represent the makeup of the laity and where the Church is growing.

Selecting a pope as part of the conclave is considered a cardinal’s highest duty. Those who do so are known as cardinal electors.

How many cardinals are in the conclave?
It varies. While all cardinals are summoned to the Vatican upon the pope’s death, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave. Those aged 80 and older can decline the summons if they wish, since they aren’t allowed to be conclave members.

There are currently 252 cardinals worldwide. The preparatory meetings they have daily during the interregnum are collectively known as the General Congregation. Of the total number of cardinals, 135 are eligible to enter the conclave as cardinal electors. This will be the largest number of cardinals to participate in a conclave.

Who’s in charge of the Vatican during the sede vacante?
The camerlengo, or chamberlain, of the Church runs things during the conclave, including overseeing the conclave itself.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, 77, the senior Vatican official who announced Pope Francis’ death on Monday, April 21, will serve as the interim manager of the Vatican until a new pope is elected, according to Church officials. Pope Francis appointed Farrell as camerlengo in 2019.

Who’s eligible to be elected pope?
Canon law says any unmarried, baptised male Catholic, clergy or not, is eligible to be pope. However, the last time a non-cardinal was elected was in 1378, when Bartolomeo Prignano was placed on Peter’s throne under the name Urban VI. This choice ultimately proved unfortunate, as Urban VI’s death triggered the Western Schism — a period during which up to three different men claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Apostle Peter.

That said, only cardinals have been elected for the last 600-plus years, so being considered for the position in this case is very much the result of whom you know.

All likely or potential papal candidates are collectively known as “papabile.” Politics and personalities aside, one of the paramount considerations when determining papabile is a candidate’s age.

The ideal papal candidate is between 60 and 70 years old, with the ideal time in office considered to be from 10 to 12 years. If too young a pope is elected, he could end up overseeing and influencing Church doctrine for decades, since only death or resignation would end their time in the office. Conversely, if too old, a candidate is elected they may have little time to make an impact.

John Paul II, at 58, was young when elected and Francis, at 76, was considered old.

How secret are the conclave’s discussions?
In a word? Very. Balloting takes place in the Sistine Chapel amid a level of security that wouldn’t be out of place in a government situation room. Recording technology of any kind is forbidden, with technicians checking to ensure there are no secretly installed bugs or other like devices inside the Sistine Chapel or adjacent areas. Any handwritten notes cardinals may take during the proceedings are burned after each morning and afternoon session, along with that session's ballots.

During the conclave, the cardinals reside in private rooms in the Domus Marthae Sanctae, aka St Martha's House – essentially a hotel in the Vatican with dining facilities that typically houses visiting clergy and laity. Conclave members are sworn to absolute secrecy and have minimal contact with the outside world: Televisions, radios, phones, cameras, computers, newspapers and magazines are banned, and no written or verbal correspondence with anyone outside the conclave is allowed. Likewise, the Sistine Chapel, Domus Marthae Sanctae and other areas are off limits during the conclave to everyone other than cardinals and those people who have specific business there, such as service staff, support personnel and physicians.

Also, don’t expect a cardinal to share any inside scoop after balloting is complete and the new pope is elected. That expectation of secrecy continues indefinitely, with only the pope himself possessing the authority to make exceptions.

What is the actual voting process like?
Though wreathed in centuries of elaborate ceremony and tradition, the balloting process itself is straightforward. In theory, a cardinal cannot vote for himself. Each conclave member writes his choice on a paper ballot slip, folds it once in half and carries it held aloft between two fingers as he walks to the altar and deposits it in a special urn placed there that is used only for that purpose. In order to make the balloting secret, conclave members are instructed to write their votes “as far as possible in handwriting that cannot be identified as his.” Any conclave member who cannot make it in person to the Sistine Chapel due to illness or infirmity will cast their ballot from their room in the Domus Marthae Sanctae, where they’re collected, placed in a lockbox and carried to the Sistine Chapel.

The votes are then counted by three scrutineers who affirm what is written on each ballot and then announce it to the conclave, so the cardinals can record the votes themselves. If the number of ballots cast is different than the number of cardinal electors, those ballots are discarded and burned and a new vote taken.

The candidate who first secures two-thirds of the votes is elected pope.

How long does it take to elect a pope?
A pope could be elected as soon as the first ballot, or the process could continue indefinitely. That said, since 1831 no conclave has lasted more than four days.

Up to four rounds of voting can typically take place in a day. If no clear choice has emerged after three days, balloting is suspended for 24 hours to allow cardinal electors time to reflect. Another seven rounds of balloting then takes place, followed by another break, and so on.

If no pope is elected after 33 or 34 votes – generally about 13 days – then a new rule introduced by Pope Benedict XVI decrees that the two leading candidates as determined by previous ballots engage in a runoff vote. The candidates themselves, if members of the conclave, cannot vote in the runoff but are present for it. Whichever candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority of the votes is the new pope.

What has been the shortest conclave?
To be elected, a candidate must secure at least two-thirds of the votes. Recent conclaves have managed to designate a new pope quickly. For instance, Benedict XVI in 2005 was elected on the second day of the conclave after just four rounds of voting. One must look back to 1922 to find a conclave that lasted more than four days —the election of Pius XI took five days and 14 ballots. Seventeen years later, the cardinals needed less than 24 hours and only three ballots to elect his successor, Pius XII, making the 1939 conclave the shortest in history. On the eve of World War II, the cardinals clearly wished to avoid leaving the faithful in prolonged uncertainty.

What has been the longest conclave?
While the election of Gregory X in 1271 was the longest in history — with the Apostolic See remaining vacant for three years — the longest modern conclave occurred in 1740. Opened on February 18, it did not conclude until August 17, with the election of Benedict XIV. It took six months for the approximately 50 cardinals present (a number that fluctuated during the election due to late arrivals and the death of some electors) to agree on a name. This conclave was particularly prolonged due in part to the “right of exclusion,” a prerogative granted to certain sovereigns to veto the election of a cardinal. This practice is now strictly prohibited.

How does the conclave signal that they’ve elected a new pope?
Of all the ceremonies associated with electing a new pope, the one most familiar to the general public is the smoke that emanates from a stovepipe chimney atop the Sistine Chapel after every round of balloting.

Black smoke – fumata nera in Italian – indicates an inconclusive vote, while white smoke – fumata bianca – will signify that a new pope has been elected. Along with the white smoke, the bells of St Peter’s Basilica will ring to proclaim the event to the world.

However, that ceremonial smoke isn't created by the burning of the ballots, as commonly believed – that’s done in a stove that dates back to the 1922 conclave and is set up for the occasion in the Sistine Chapel. The smoke that wafts from the chimney is created using chemical pellets that are burned in another stove that’s connected to the stovepipe chimney, which is temporarily erected atop the Sistine Chapel just for that purpose.



When is the pope’s identity publicly revealed?
Assuming the elected cardinal accepts the office, the new pope’s identity is revealed within an hour of the final ballot.

Before he’s presented to the public, the new pope is also asked by what name he will be known. While popes have the option of keeping their baptismal name, every pope for the last 470 years has chosen to change his name, usually to honour a predecessor and to signal their intention to emulate his example. Pope Francis was a notable exception, instead choosing his name to honour St Francis of Assisi, the 13th century cleric now celebrated in the Church as the patron saint of animals and the environment.

The new pope is then attired in temporary vestments prepared in various sizes for the occasion and awaits his formal introduction by the senior cardinal deacon, who stands on the balcony on the facade of St Peter’s Basilica, overlooking St Peter’s Square, and declares in Latin: Nuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus papam – “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope.”

The new pope then emerges onto the balcony to present himself to the world and deliver his first blessing to the crowd gathered below in St Peter’s Square.

Although the elected pope immediately has full authority and jurisdiction, a ceremonial Mass to install the new pope is held about a week after his election, either in St Peter’s Square or St Peter’s Basilica, with cardinals, bishops and other international dignitaries present. Up until the middle of the last century the installation was a coronation with a three-tiered crown.

When does the conclave end?
As soon as the new pontiff has assented to his election, the conclave is over, though the assembled cardinals will remain at the Vatican until the attendant ceremonies are over. In 2013, Francis asked the cardinals to stay in the conclave for an extra day to pray with him.

How did the election of Pope Francis unfold?
Convened on March 12, 2013, the conclave that led to the election of Pope Francis was unique because the cardinals had ample time to prepare, as it began one month after Benedict XVI announced his decision to retire from the governance of the Church. Out of the 117 cardinal electors, two chose not to participate — one for health reasons and the other due to his resignation from his diocese. European cardinals were in the majority in the Sistine Chapel, numbering no less than 60, including 28 Italians. At that time, the average age of the electors was 77.

It took just over 24 hours and five rounds of voting for the cardinals to agree on the new pope. The Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected March 13, 2013. Surprising his fellow cardinals and observers around the world, he chose to adopt a papal name that had never been used before — Francis. He explained a few days later that he made this choice in honour of St Francis of Assisi and to express his desire for a “poor Church for the poor.”