The Catholic College of Cardinals (the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church) convening to elect a new pope is one of the oldest methods of electing a head of state that remains in use to the present day.
The papal election resembles how decisions were made in Europe some 700 years ago.
This was before elected monarchies were replaced by hereditary monarchies, according to Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, professor of politics at New York University.
What happens when a new pope is elected?
Cardinals are bishops and Vatican officials from all over the world, personally chosen by the pope and recognisable by their distinctive red vestments.
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave – they are known as the cardinal electors, and their number is limited to 120.
Women are barred from the priesthood, and therefore from becoming pope, in the Catholic Church, with the ban based on the belief that Jesus chose only men to be his apostles.
For the conclave itself, the electors proceed to the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of absolute secrecy before sealing the doors.
The unofficial term for potential candidates is Papabile.
How the ballot works when electing a new pope
Christ is risen! These words capture the entire meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. #Easter https://t.co/s8D2o4WCfV
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 20, 2025
Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote - the votes are carried out in secret.
The result of each ballot is counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals.
If no one receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke.
The process can go to multiple rounds with the same people, theoretically getting the same number of votes each time as cardinals wait to see who loses support first.
But slowly, cardinals who voted for someone who only received a very small number of votes are likely to add their vote to one of the stronger candidates in the next round.
When a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts his election.
Recommended reading:
- Tributes flood in following death of Pope Francis, aged 88
- What is a papal funeral and what happens when the Pope dies?
- When did Pope Francis become the pope and how long was he in the role for?
If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before processing out to the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
The ballots of the final round are burned with chemicals, producing white smoke to signal to the world the election of a new pope.
The senior cardinal deacon announces from the balcony of St Peter’s “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”) before the new Pope proceeds out and imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world.
How many cardinals are there?
Within the College of Cardinals, there are 252 cardinals (as of April 19, 2025), of whom 135 are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new Pope.
