WATCH PAPAL CONCLAVE LIVE:
Black smoke seen at Sistine Chapel; no pope elected by conclave in first round of voting.
VATICAN CITY – After the death of Pope Francis, the process begins now for selecting the next pontiff. Watch live from the Vatican as the 2025 Conclave gets underway to elect the new Pope.
The election of a new pope is a centuries-old tradition, following a series of choreographed rules and rituals.
Selection and election of new pope
After a pope dies or resigns, the dean of the College of Cardinals organizes secret meetings where cardinals discuss the church’s needs and the qualities a future pope must have. Then, the dean organizes the conclave balloting in the Sistine Chapel.
Standing under Michelangelo’s “Creation” and before his “Last Judgment,” each cardinal places his hand on a book of the Gospels and pledges “with the greatest fidelity” never to reveal the details of the conclave. A meditation on the qualities needed for the next pope and the challenges ahead for the church is delivered by Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech.
The master of liturgical celebrations then cries “Extra omnes,” Latin for “all out.” Everyone except the cardinals leave and the voting can begin.
How do they vote?
Each cardinal writes his choice on a piece of paper and drops off their twice-folded ballot in a large chalice one by one, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website.
Cardinals must be under 80 years old to cast a vote for a new pope.
Four rounds of balloting take place every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.
The life and legacy of Pope Francis
FOX’s Lauren Green has a look at how Pope Francis was elected and the impact he had on the Catholic Church.
What happens once all votes are in?
The result of each ballot is counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals who are designated recorders.
If none of the candidates receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel. Chemicals that are added to the stove will produce black smoke, signifying a pope has not been chosen yet.
What happens when a candidate wins?
When a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote, the dean will ask him if he accepts the election.
If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and wears the papal vestments before he goes out to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and delivers his first public words as pope.
The ballots of the final and deciding vote are burned to produce white smoke to signal to the world a new pope has been chosen.
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