When it comes time to elect a new pope, the College of Cardinals gets together to convene what is referred to as a papal conclave, during which they vote on who will become the next successor of St. Peter. Watch these three videos to find out more about how to become pope, what happens during the conclave and the ins and outs of the voting.

Who can vote?

  • Only cardinals can elect a pope. The number of cardinals cannot exceed 120. Cardinals who are over the age of eighty may participate in the conclave’s preparatory meetings, but are not allowed to cast a vote.
  • Cardinals who cannot attend the conclave due to illness or other reasons can still vote. Special arrangements are made for those cardinals.
  • Details of the Cardinal Electors for the Papal Election

How does an election take place?

After the cardinals have taken their oath, paper ballots with the words Eligo in Summum Pontifacem (“I elect as Supreme Pontiff”) are distributed. The cardinals write the name of the candidate they are voting for and fold the ballot twice.

“I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.”

One by one, each cardinal carries his ballot to the altar, where there is a chalice covered by a paten. He holds his ballot up so everyone can see that he has voted. As he places his ballot on the paten and slides it into the chalice, he says, “I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected."

After all of the ballots have been collected, the cardinal camerlengo and three assistants, called scrutineers, count them.

How are the votes counted?

  • The first scrutineer silently reads the ballot, notes the name of the person chosen, and passes it to the second scrutineer. He in turn does the same and passes it to the third scrutineer. The third scrutineer reads the name aloud for all to hear, writes the name on a separate sheet of paper prepared for that purpose, and then runs a needle and thread through the ballot. After all the ballots have been joined together in this way, they are then placed in another receptacle or on one side of the table.
  • When all the votes have been read, the three scrutineers tally them. If no one receives a two-thirds majority, a pope has not been elected, and a new vote must be taken. If someone does receive a two-thirds majority, then there is a new pope.
  • After the votes have been tallied, any notes the cardinals have made are collected and placed with the ballots, which are burned by the scrutineers. If a new pope has been elected, the papers are burned, giving off white smoke. If no one has been elected, the papers are burned with an additive that gives off black smoke. This lets the crowds waiting and watching outside know the progress of the election.
  • Papal Election Literacy Terms
  • www.istherewhitesmoke.com is a website where the smoke will turn WHITE when a pope is chosen.

What happens when a new Pope is elected?

  • The dean of the college of cardinals, or the most senior cardinal, asks the elected cardinal if he accepts his election and what name he would like to be called as Pope. If the elected cardinal assents, he immediately becomes the bishop of Rome, or Pope.
  • All the cardinals pledge their obedience to the new Pope.
  • The dean of the college of cardinals announces from the balcony of the Vatican that a new pope has been elected and proclaims his name. The new Pope then steps onto the balcony and gives the Apostolic Blessing.