For a few days, the eyes of the entire world will turn to a chapel inside the Vatican, adorned with Michelangelo’s frescoes, which will witness the twenty-sixth of the 75 conclaves that have taken place in the history of the Church. But do you really know what this means?
The Conclave is a word derived from the Latin “cum clave,” which we could translate as “locked with a key.” The term refers to a reserved and locked room in a house. In ecclesiastical vocabulary, it refers both to the location where the election of a new pontiff takes place and to the assembly of the College of Cardinals convened to elect the new Pope.
Origins
The origin of the Conclave (both the system and the election location) goes back to Pope Gregory X and the Apostolic Constitution Ubi Periculum, from 1274. Over the years, various popes refined the system. Pope Pius X adapted it to modern times; Pius XI and Pius XII also made adjustments. In 1996, Saint John Paul II issued Universi Dominici Gregis, the current constitution governing the Conclave, which was modified by Benedict XVI in 2013. Among Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio directives was the definitive designation of the Sistine Chapel as the place for the Conclave. It is defined as the Via Pulchritudinis, the “way of beauty” capable of guiding the mind and heart toward the Eternal.
The De Aliquibus Mutationibus in Normis de Electione Romani Pontificis also states that if, after 34 ballots, no pope has been elected, the cardinals must vote between the two candidates who received the most votes in the previous ballot—while still maintaining the two-thirds majority required to elect the new shepherd of the Holy Church.
Before Gregory X, during the first 1,200 years of the Church’s history, the Bishop of Rome was elected with the participation of the local community. The faithful proposed some candidates, who were then reviewed by the clergy, and the Pope was chosen by the bishops.
The Conclave Today
Starting on May 7, the providential hand of God will write another chapter in the Church’s history. The 76th Conclave will elect the 267th Successor of Peter. In a world dominated by mass media and social networks that connect the globe in a fraction of a second, the cardinal electors will withdraw from the world and, in a spirit of prayer and supplication, enter the Chapel in a grand procession, under the gaze of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, invoking the help of the saints and the Light of the Holy Spirit.
How Does the Conclave Work?
The opening Mass will take place on May 7 and will be presided over by the Dean of the College of Cardinals. In the afternoon, the procession begins. After entering the Sistine Chapel, the cardinal electors invoke the Holy Spirit and take an oath before God, pledging secrecy and fidelity. After this moment, the phrase “Extra Omnes” is pronounced—meaning “everyone out.” All non-participants in the Conclave must leave, and the chapel is sealed.
The system then follows three stages: Pre-scrutiny, Scrutiny, and Post-scrutiny.
Pre-Scrutiny
Pre-scrutiny is the stage where the election is prepared. The cardinals receive ballots, and several roles are drawn at random from among them:
- Scrutineers, who count the votes
- Revisers, who check the count
- Infirmarii, who collect votes from cardinals too ill to be present in the chapel
After the drawing of lots, each cardinal writes on his ballot the name of the person he chooses, using clear but unidentifiable handwriting. The ballot is then folded twice.
Scrutiny
Now begins the scrutiny. Each cardinal approaches a table in front of the chapel’s altar, where a ballot box is placed. Holding up the ballot, he says, invoking the presence of God:
“I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will judge me, that I am giving my vote to the one who, before God, I believe should be elected.”
The ballot is deposited into the urn, and the cardinal returns to his seat. Once all the cardinals have voted, one scrutineer shakes the urn, and the ballots are transferred to another container in full view.
The votes are then counted, and each name is read aloud, clearly and audibly. Each read ballot is pierced with a needle and red thread, ensuring they are preserved, not mixed up or lost.
Post-Scrutiny
Post-scrutiny involves counting the votes, verifying or reviewing the tally, and burning the ballots. If someone has received two-thirds of the votes, a new pope has been elected. If not, another round of voting immediately follows—after which both sets of ballots (first and second rounds) are burned.
If a pope has been elected: white smoke.
If not: black smoke.
Upon election, the new Successor of Peter is asked whether he accepts and what name he wishes to take from that moment on.
From there, the new pope hears the Gospel regarding Peter’s mission, is greeted by the cardinals who pledge their obedience, and all together sing the “Te Deum.”
The new pope then goes to the Room of Tears, prays alone, and dresses in papal vestments. When he emerges, he heads to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he is presented to the world.
