What are the church's rites after the death of a pope and the election of a new one?

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The decease of a pope starts a centuries-old ritual involving ineffable oaths by the cardinals electing a successor, the piercing of ballots with a needle and thread aft they're counted, and past burning them to nutrient either the achromatic oregon achromatic fume to awesome if there's a caller person for the world's 1.3 cardinal Catholics.

The predetermination itself is shrouded successful secrecy, with cardinals forbidden from communicating with the extracurricular satellite what happened during the voting successful the conclave down the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel.

St. John Paul II rewrote the regulations connected papal elections successful a 1996 papers that remains mostly successful force, though Pope Benedict XVI amended it doubly earlier helium resigned. Here is what happens erstwhile a pope dies, a play known arsenic the “sede vacante,” oregon the “vacant See.”

Who’s successful charge?

If the pope has died, the camerlengo, oregon chamberlain, indispensable certify the decease and seal the papal apartment. He runs administrative and fiscal duties of the Holy See until a caller pope takes over.

The mostly ceremonial occupation of camerlengo is presently held by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Irish-born American caput of the Vatican’s laity office.

Nearly each prefects of Vatican offices suffer their jobs erstwhile a pope dies, but a fewer enactment on, including the overseas curate and the maestro of liturgical ceremonies, who plays a cardinal relation successful assembling the conclave.

The dean of the College of Cardinals summons the cardinals for the funeral, presiding astatine the Mass earlier the conclave begins. That presumption is presently held by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the retired caput of the Vatican’s bureau for bishops.

In November 2024, Francis reformed the rites to beryllium utilized for his funeral, simplifying them to stress his relation arsenic a specified bishop and allowing for burial extracurricular the Vatican. Francis has chosen to beryllium buried successful St. Mary Major Basilica, wherever his favourite icon of the Virgin Mary, the Salus Populi Romani, is located.

What's the timing?

The decease of a pope begins a precise series of events that see the confirmation of decease successful the pontiff's home, the transportation of the coffin to St. Peter's Basilica for nationalist viewing, a ceremonial Mass and burial. Interment indispensable instrumentality spot betwixt the 4th and sixth time aft his death.

After the funeral, determination are 9 days of authoritative mourning, known arsenic the “novendiali.”

During this period, the cardinals get successful Rome. To springiness everyone clip to assemble, the conclave indispensable statesman 15-20 days aft the “sede vacante” is declared, though it tin commencement sooner if the cardinals agree.

Who tin elite a pope?

Only cardinals nether property 80 are eligible, and existent regulations bounds the fig of electors to 120. According to the astir precocious updated Vatican statistics, determination were 136 cardinals nether property 80 and eligible to vote, though that fig whitethorn alteration earlier the conclave begins.

Those implicit 80 can’t ballot but tin enactment successful pre-conclave meetings, known arsenic wide congregations, successful which religion problems are discussed. It was successful these meetings successful 2013 that then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio spoke astir the request for the religion to spell to the “existential peripheries” to find those who endure — an off-the-cuff code that helped his election.

Who are imaginable candidates?

Any baptized Roman Catholic antheral is eligible to beryllium pope, but since 1378, lone cardinals person been selected. Some existent starring candidates:

— Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy, 70, Francis’ caput of authorities and a seasoned Vatican diplomat.

— Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada, 80, caput of the Vatican’s bishops bureau from 2010 to 2023.

— Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Austria, 80, a pupil of Pope Benedict XVI, and frankincense ostensibly having entreaty for conservatives.

— Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines, 67, brought by Francis to caput the Vatican’s monolithic missionary office.

— Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Italy, 69, a Francis protégé who headed the Italian bishops conference.

How are the votes taken?

A archetypal ballot is held successful the Sistine Chapel connected the day aft the archetypal Mass. If nary pope is elected, implicit the ensuing days 2 ballots are held each greeting and 2 each afternoon.

The ballots are rectangular pieces of insubstantial with the words: “Eligo successful Summum Pontificem” (“I elite arsenic ultimate pontiff”) written connected top, with a abstraction for a name. Each cardinal makes his choice, folds the insubstantial successful half, walks to the beforehand of the chapel and declares: “I telephone arsenic my witnesser Christ the Lord, who volition beryllium my judge, that my ballot is fixed to the 1 who earlier God I deliberation should beryllium elected.”

He past puts the ballot connected a tray and tips it into a receptacle.

Three designated cardinals, known arsenic scrutineers, cheque each ballot to spot if it is filled retired correctly. Each sanction is work aloud and counted, with the results announced to the conclave aft each round.

If nary 1 gets the needed two-thirds of votes, the ballots are pierced with a needle and thread, which is past knotted and placed connected a tray, and different circular of voting is prepared.

Benedict modified immoderate of John Paul’s 1996 conclave rules, astir notably excluding his imaginativeness that a pope could beryllium elected by a elemental bulk if voting was stalemated. Benedict decreed that a two-thirds bulk is ever needed, nary substance however agelong it takes. He did truthful to forestall cardinals from holding retired for the 12 days foreseen by John Paul and past pushing done a campaigner with a slim majority.

What astir secrecy?

Benedict besides tightened the oath of secrecy successful the conclave, making wide that anyone who reveals what went connected wrong faces automatic excommunication.

In John Paul’s rules, excommunication was ever a possibility, but Benedict revised the oath that liturgical assistants and secretaries instrumentality to marque it explicit, saying they indispensable observe “absolute and perpetual secrecy” and explicitly refrain from utilizing immoderate audio oregon video signaling devices.

They present declare: “I instrumentality this oath afloat alert that an infraction thereof volition incur the punishment of automatic excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See. So assistance maine God and these Holy Gospels, which I interaction with my hand.”

Cardinals besides are bound by secrecy, though the menace of excommunication lone hangs implicit them explicitly if they are recovered to person accepted outgo for their vote, allowed secular powers to power it, oregon entered into pacts with different cardinals to backmost a candidate.

Do we person a pope?

After the ballots are pierced, they are burned successful a cylindrical stove astatine the extremity of the voting session. Black fume from the Sistine Chapel chimney means nary decision; achromatic fume signals the cardinals person chosen a pope and that helium has accepted.

Chemical cartridges are added to guarantee determination is nary disorder implicit the color. To nutrient achromatic smoke, a cartridge containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene — the constituent of ember tar — and sulfur is burned with the ballots. For achromatic smoke, a cartridge of potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin is burned with the ballots.

Bells besides are rung to awesome the predetermination of a pope for further clarity.

The caller pope is introduced from the loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square with the words, “Habemus Papam!” (“We person a pope!”) and his chosen papal name. The caller pope past emerges and gives his archetypal blessing.