Pope Francis died on April 21, aged 88, barely a day after making an Easter Sunday appearance in St. Peter’s Square, when he greeted thousands of Catholic supporters. The Vatican said Monday that Francis died of a stroke.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected Pope in 2013, following the resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, the first in nearly 600 years. Francis, named TIME’s 2013 Person of the Year, became the first Latin American pontiff when he assumed leadership of the holy institution.
Throughout his time, Francis was noted for his humility and pleas for peace in the face of severe global difficulties such as the COVID-19 epidemic and the Gaza humanitarian situation.
As the world mourns Francis and remembers his life’s legacy, his death also marks the beginning of the interregnum, a period of leadership transition at the Vatican during which no Pope is in charge (known as sede vacante, or the “vacant seat”).
Here’s what you should know about how popes are elected, and who some of the frontrunners are.
What happens when a Pope dies?
Following the Pope’s death, the Vatican’s traditional nine-day period of mourning known as the novendiales begins.
The election of a new Pope begins 15 to 20 days following his death. The camerlengo, a cardinal in the Catholic Church, is in charge of planning the election through a process known as the conclave, which was recently portrayed in the award-winning 2024 film Conclave.
However, the actual election is preceded by general assemblies, which are convened to examine the Catholic Church’s rising issues. The Apostolic Constitution requires all cardinals who “are not legitimately impeded” to attend general assemblies.
Cardinals are exceptional bishops and Vatican officials who advise the pope and are distinguished by a crimson cloak. The Vatican reports that there are about 250 cardinals in total, all of whom are men and the majority of whom are from Europe. While all cardinals can attend the daily meetings leading up to the election, only 120 cardinals—all under the age of 80—can vote in the conclave. It is unclear how the 120 voters are selected.
According to NPR, Francis selected 21 new Cardinals in December, with many coming from six different continents and reflecting more modern and progressive beliefs, such as support for LGBTQ+ Catholic inclusion. Overall, it is expected that Francis will personally select approximately 80% of those who will choose his successor.
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the electorate traditionally holds a mass to seek spiritual guidance before the papal election.
How Popes are Elected
1. The Vacancy of the Holy See
The process begins when the papal seat, known as the Holy See, falls vacant. This can occur through a pope’s death or resignation, as seen most recently in 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI stepped down.
When the Holy See is vacant, the government of the Church is temporarily handed over to the College of Cardinals. However, they are just able to do administrative tasks at this moment and cannot make major decisions.
2. The gathering of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals, which is made up of senior Church officials nominated by the pope, is the only body in charge of electing popes. Cardinals under the age of 80 at the time of the vacancy are entitled to vote.
Once the Holy See becomes vacant, the cardinals are summoned to the Vatican for a conclave. Before entering the conclave, they attend a series of sessions called general congregations. During these sessions, they debate the Church’s concerns and the traits that the next Pope should possess.
3. The Conclave begins.
The conclave takes place in the Sistine Chapel, which is known for its stunning murals, notably Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment. The word “conclave” is derived from the Latin cum clave, which means “with a key,” indicating that the process is locked.
Before voting begins, the cardinals swear an oath of secrecy. This ensures that discussions and decisions made during the conclave remain confidential.
Following the oath, all non-essential workers depart the chapel, and the doors are locked.
4. The Voting Process
The election of a pope requires a two-thirds majority. If no candidate obtains a majority in the early rounds of voting, the procedure is repeated until a consensus is achieved. Here is how voting works:
- Ballots: Each cardinal marks the name of their preferred candidate on a paper ballot.
- Counting: Designated cardinals collect and count the ballots. The results are announced to the assembly.
- Burning of Ballots: Following each round of voting, the ballots are burned on a special burner in the Sistine Chapel. Chemicals are poured into the fire to create smoke; black smoke denotes an inconclusive vote, while white smoke indicates that a new pope has been elected.
5. Election of the Pope
When a cardinal receives the required two-thirds majority, they are asked to accept the election. If they agree, they select a papal name that frequently expresses their vision or pays tribute to a past pope or saint.
The new pope is then clad in his usual white cassock. Shortly after, the cardinal protodeacon shouts the famous words, Habemus Papam (“We have a pope”) from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The new pope then arrives to pronounce their first benediction, Urbi et Orbi (“To the City and the World”).
6. The significance of the conclave.
The conclave is more than just an administrative formality; it is a tremendously spiritual event. The cardinals make decisions based on prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The process reflects the Church’s commitment to continuity and unity, as it ensures that the new pope is chosen by its hallowed traditions.
Who is eligible to become the next pope?
The College of Cardinals Report, a website dedicated to offering more information about potential successors, has selected 22 cardinals as “papabili,” or the most likely to be elected Pope. According to the research, a cardinal considered papabili should be humble, zealous for the Catholic religion, and eager to promote kindness.
“But predicting the next Pope is notoriously precarious, and he may be none of those we propose,” according to the cautions. Pope Francis, for example, did not appear on several papabili lists in 2013, since many people believed he was too old.
Despite calls for more leadership opportunities for women in the Catholic Church at last year’s synod, a summit of Catholic leaders, women remain ineligible to be ordained as priests, and hence ineligible for the papacy. While it is not specifically specified in Church statutes, each Pope was a cardinal before becoming pontiff.
Here are some of the most discussed contenders who could be the future Pope:
Jean-Marc Aveline
Jean-Marc Aveline, 66, is well-known for his advocacy for migrants. That approach is personal to the cardinal, who fled his birthplace due to strife when he was just four years old. His family eventually settled in Marseille, France, which has a sizable Muslim community, making him receptive to interfaith dialogue. Aveline has a PhD in theology. According to the College of Cardinals Report, he appears to be Pope Francis’ “favorite” potential successor, albeit he varies from Francis in that he has expressed reservations about blessings for same-sex couples, as opposed to individuals.
Joseph Tobin
Joseph Tobin, 72, is a strongly progressive candidate for the Church who has gained significant influence in the United States. Tobin has expressed strong support for LGBTQ+ Catholics, women in the Church, and migrants, even condemning then-Indiana Governor Mike Pence’s efforts to prevent Syrian refugee resettlements. Before becoming the Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, he was the Vatican’s second-in-command. In that capacity, he handled the high-profile Theodore McCarrick sexual assault case.
Juan José Omella
Juan Jose Omella, 79, was Pope Francis’ consultant before his death. Only a year after being appointed archbishop, the Spanish cardinal received his red cloak. He is staunchly opposed to abortion, but has made heated remarks concerning reports of sexual abuse inside the Catholic Church in Spain, calling the estimated figures in the hundreds of thousands “lies.” He continued: “We will not tire of asking for forgiveness from the victims and working for their healing.” Omella studied theology and philosophy at the Seminary of Zaragoza.
Pietro Parolin
Italian Pietro Parolin, 70, has served as the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013 and is the conclave’s highest-ranked cardinal. He is considered an expert on a wide range of geopolitical issues. From 2002 to 2009, he served as Undersecretary of State for relations with states, overseeing relations with Vietnam, North Korea, Israel, and China.
Péter Erdő
Péter Erdő, 72, would be a more conservative candidate for the top position. John Paul II appointed the Hungarian national as one of the Church’s youngest cardinals in 2003, when he was 51 years old. He has opposed divorced and remarried persons taking communion, believing that marriage is irreversible, and he is against same-sex marriage. His stance on immigration, a key issue in Hungary, has previously been criticized: he originally compared accepting migrants to human smuggling, but is said to have changed his view after meeting with Pope Francis, who is far more liberal on immigration and refugee issues.
Peter Turkson
Peter Turkson, 76, would be a progressive candidate for the church. Pope John Paul II initially promoted Turkson, a Ghanaian archbishop, to the rank of cardinal in 2003. Turkson was appointed by Pope Francis to lead special assemblies advocating for development in the Amazon region, as well as a council for justice and peace. In March, the University of Dayton announced that Turkson would get an honorary degree this year, calling him a “tireless advocate for the poor and marginalized, championing the cause of human dignity.” He has received honorary doctorates from at least six different universities.
Luis Antonio Tagle
If elected, Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, of the Philippines, would be the first modern-day Asian Pope. Tagle, who is now serving as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, leans left and has spoken out against the isolating influence of the Church’s strong anti-same-sex marriage rhetoric.
“Yes, I think even the language has changed already, the harsh words that were used in the past to refer to gays and divorced and separated people, the unwed mothers, etc, in the past they were quite severe,” he said to reporters back in 2015. “Many people who belonged to those groups were labeled, which isolated them from the rest of society.”
Mario Grech
Mario Grech, 68, serves as the Synod’s Secretary General. The Malta-born cardinal has stated his condemnation of divorce and in vitro fertilization, while at the same time calling on the Catholic Church to accept divorced and gay couples. In a 2015 interview with the Sunday Times of Malta, he stated that the Church should be “an experience of God” rather than a “moral agency”.
Grech was in charge of supervising the Synod of Synodality, a gathering of religious leaders to consult on the Church’s future path, which made him well-connected among bishops and cardinals. He has been open in his support for migrants, urging Europe to better address the humanitarian crisis at hand. He added: “It is particularly critical in such a sensitive field not to enable institutional discrimination between well-off foreigners and the destitute, those from the East and those from Africa.”
Matteo Maria Zuppi
Italian Matteo Maria Zuppi, 69, has followed Francis’ lead in promoting a more open environment within the church. He served as a special envoy to Russia and Ukraine, and he met with officials in Kyiv, Moscow, Washington, D.C., the West Bank, and Beijing.
He has been open about his acceptance of homosexuals, and he supports prisoners’ rights and the elimination of the death sentence. In June 2023, he called for a “legal system that guarantees protection and welcome for all.”
A New pope elected
Once the College of Cardinals has elected a new pope, the candidate is formally asked in the Sistine Chapel if he accepts the election and, if so, what his papal name will be. While popes have the option of preserving their baptismal name, every pope for the last 470 years has decided to change it, usually to honor a predecessor and signify their wish to follow in his footsteps.
The interregnum concludes when the newly elected pope makes his first public appearance in his new role, stepping onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, overlooking St. Peter’s Square, to bless the assembled crowd after being introduced by the senior cardinal deacon with the traditional declaration “Habemus papum” – Latin for “We have a pope.”
Pope election smoke
So, how can we know whether a decision has been reached? Yes, this is the black smoke/white smoke section.
If the cardinals do not attain a majority, the cards and tally sheets are placed in a stove and burned with an additive to make black smoke, signaling to the outer world that a pope has not yet been elected.
Watching for the telltale smoke rising from the top of the Sistine Chapel has become a ritual, with Catholics flocking to St Peter’s Square to witness the spectacle.
If no resolution is achieved within three days, the sessions are paused for a day to allow for prayer and discussion. Additional ballots are then cast until a two-thirds majority is achieved.
When enough cardinals agree on a candidate for the next pope, he is asked if he accepts and under what name he wishes to be known.
The ballots are then burned again, but this time with an additive that produces white smoke.
Conclusion: New Pope Proclaimed
The new pope then puts on his new papal regalia (tailors have large, medium, and small sizes ready) and sits on a throne in the Sistine Chapel to meet the other cardinals, who file in to pay respect and swear obedience to the church’s new head.
The senior cardinal deacon then comes out onto the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, which overlooks the square, and says in Latin, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magna. Habemus Papam” (I bring you tremendous delight. We have a pope) and exposes the cardinal’s name and the one he has selected.
The new pope then comes on the balcony to give his first public pontifical greeting and bless the crowds in St. Peter’s Square.
A few days later, the new pope celebrates a mass to mark the start of his ministry.
FAQS
Is the Pope chosen by God?
While Catholics believe that the Pope’s election is directed by the Holy Spirit, the Pope is not immediately chosen by God in the same way that St. Peter was. The College of Cardinals, under the age of 80, vote in a conclave, asking God’s direction in their decision. This is a human process, not divine selection.
Why was Pope Francis’ election unusual
Pope Francis’ election occurred at an unprecedented point in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. His predecessor, Pope Benedict, resigned from the papacy, a decision not made by someone in his position in nearly 600 years.
