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Papal conclave

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Religious movements,
traditions and organizations

   A papal conclave is the process by which the Roman Catholic Church
   elects the Bishop of Rome who, as he is considered the "Successor of
   Saint Peter," is also the Pope, the head of the Church.

   A history of political interference in these elections and consequently
   long vacancies between popes, and most immediately the interregnum of
   1268-1271, prompted the Second Council of Lyons to decree in 1274 that
   the electors should be locked in seclusion cum clave (Latin for "with a
   key"), and not permitted to leave until a new Bishop of Rome is
   elected. Conclaves are now held in the Sistine Chapel in the Palace of
   the Vatican.

   In the early centuries of Christianity the bishop of Rome (like other
   bishops) was chosen by the consensus of the clergy and people of Rome.
   The body of electors was more precisely defined until, in 1059, the
   College of Cardinals was designated the sole body of electors. Since
   then other details of the process have developed. In 1970 Pope Paul VI
   limited the electors to cardinals under 80 years of age. The Pope may
   change the procedures for electing his successor by issuing an
   apostolic constitution; the current procedures were established by Pope
   John Paul II in his constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

Historical development

   The procedures relating to the election of the Pope have undergone
   almost two millennia of development. Procedures similar to the present
   system were introduced in 1274 with the Second Council of Lyons after
   the three-year interregnum 1268-1271.

Electorate

   The earliest bishops appear to have been chosen for a Christian
   community by the apostles and their immediate succesors who founded the
   Church in that area. As these communities became more fully
   established, bishops were chosen by the clergy and laity of the
   community with the assistance of the bishops of neighbouring dioceses.
   St. Cyprian says that Pope Cornelius was chosen Bishop of Rome "by the
   decree of God and of His Church, by the testimony of nearly all the
   clergy, by the college of aged bishops [sacerdotum], and of good men."
   As was true for bishops of other dioceses (see the story of St. Ambrose
   as late as 374)", the clergy of the Roman diocese was the electoral
   body for the bishop of Rome, but they did not cast votes, instead
   selecting the bishop by general consensus or by acclamation. The
   candidate would then be submitted to the people for their general
   approval or disapproval. This lack of lucidity in the election
   procedures gave rise to rival Popes or antipopes, and to avoid factions
   the Roman Emperor sometimes confirmed the selection.

   The Lateran Synod held in 769 officially abolished the theoretical
   suffrage held by the Roman people, though in 862, a Synod of Rome
   restored it to Roman noblemen. A major change was introduced in 1059,
   when Nicholas II decreed that the cardinals were to elect a candidate,
   who would take office after receiving the assent of the clergy and
   laity. The most senior cardinals, the Cardinal Bishops, were to meet
   first and discuss the candidates before summoning the Cardinal Priests
   and Cardinal Deacons for the actual vote. The Second Council of the
   Lateran in 1139 removed the requirement that the assent of the lower
   clergy and the laity be obtained.

   Through much of the Middle Ages and Renaissance the cardinals numbered
   below 30 and as few as seven members under Pope Alexander IV
   (1254-1261). Difficult travel reduced the number arriving at the
   conclave. With a small electorate an individual vote was significant,
   and was not easily shaken from familar or political lines. Conclaves
   could last months and even years. The long interregnum following the
   death of Clement IV in 1268 caused Gregory X and the Second Council of
   Lyons in 1274 to decree that the electors should be locked in
   seclusion, and their food rationed should they fail to choose a
   candidate in three to eight days. The strict rules of the conclave were
   disliked by the cardinals and suspended by John XXI (1276-1277).
   Lengthy elections continued to be the norm until 1294 when a pious
   Benedictine hermit admonished the cardinals. The cardinals elected this
   same monk as Pope Celestine V, whose main acts as Pope were to
   reinstate the strict conclave, and to resign the papacy. He was
   declared a saint in 1313.

   In 1378, after the death of the French-born Gregory XI, the Romans
   rioted to ensure the election of an Italian; the cardinals complied by
   choosing Urban VI, who was not even a cardinal. Later, in the same
   year, French and other cardinals moved to Fondi and elected another
   rival Pope. The Council of Pisa met in 1409 to resolve the conflict,
   but only managed to elect a third claimant. The conflict, known as the
   Western Schism, was only resolved by the Council of Constance which met
   between 1414 and 1418. The Roman Gregory XII abdicated in 1415, and the
   council deposed the other two claimants and elected Pope Martin V,
   ending the schism. After that election it was declared that no council
   would have authority over the Pope, and that a papal election could not
   be undone.

   In 1587, Sixtus V fixed the number of cardinals to 70: six Cardinal
   Bishops, 50 Cardinal Priests, and 14 Cardinal Deacons. Beginning with
   John XXIII's attempts to broaden the backgrounds of the cardinals, that
   number has increased. In 1970, Paul VI decreed that cardinals over the
   age of eighty were ineligible to vote in the conclave, and also
   increased the number of active cardinal electors to 120. Though this
   remains the theoretical limit, John Paul II exceeded this for short
   periods of time with knowledge of impending retirements. John Paul II
   also specified that cardinals that were under eighty on the day the
   Holy See become vacant but would turn eighty before the conclave start
   still have a vote. Of the 182 cardinals at that time, 116 were under
   eighty years of age.

Choice of the electors

   Originally, lay status did not bar election to the Bishop of Rome:
   bishops of dioceses were sometimes elected even while still catechumens
   (as St. Amrbose, supra). In 769, in the wake of the violent dispute
   over the election of antipope Constantine II, Pope Stephen III held a
   synod which ruled that the entire clergy of Rome had a right to vote
   for the bishop of Rome, but that only a "cardinal priest" or "cardinal
   deacon" could be elected (this is the first use of the term "cardinal"
   and the "cardinal bishops" were specifically excluded). By 824, these
   rules were reversed, a lay participation in the choice by acclamation
   of a new pope again became the rule until 1059 (the pope was also
   subjected to oaths of loyalty to the Holy Roman Emperor, whose task it
   was of provide security and public peace in Rome).

   Nicholas II, again calling a synod, changed the method of papal
   election yet again. He restricted the vote to the cardinal bishops,
   whose choice would be ratified by the cardinal priests and cardinal
   deacons. Preference was to be given to the clergy of Rome in the
   choice, but the cardinal bishops were also free to choose a candidate
   from elsewhere. Imperial confirmation was dropped.

   In 1179, the Third Council of the Lateran reversed earlier
   requirements, once more allowing anyone to be elected by the cardinals.
   (This does not mean a layman elected would remain an unordained layman
   while serving as pope; see acceptance and proclamation below.) Urban VI
   in 1378 was the last Pope elected from outside the cardinals. In more
   recent history it is reported that Archbishop Giovanni Montini of Milan
   received several votes in the conclave of 1958 despite not being a
   cardinal. The new pope made him a cardinal almost immediately, and he
   was later elected pope in 1963.

   Though the Pope's core title is "Bishop of Rome," he need not be of
   Italian background. Prior to Adrian VI, a native of the Netherlands who
   was elected in 1522, popes came from a wide variety of geographic areas
   and linguistic groups. From Adrian VI to John Paul II, who was Polish,
   however, all of the popes were from areas that are now part of Italy -
   it must be remembered, however, that this bears little of the modern
   connotation of "Italian," as Italy was broken up into various
   independent republics and kingdoms, parts of the area of modern Italy
   were controlled by other powers like France or the Holy Roman Empire,
   and the Papal States in the middle of the Italian boot was its own
   country until the unification of modern Italy in the mid-1800s. In many
   cases, for instance, this distinction of Italian vs. non-Italian was
   almost meaningless compared to the distinction between Roman vs.
   non-Roman, between Florentine vs. Venetian, or between various poltical
   and familial alliances. The present incumbent, Benedict XVI, is German.

   Thus, any baptised male Catholic (except a heretic or schismatic) can
   be elected by the College of Cardinals. As the Catholic Church holds
   that women cannot be ordained validly in the sacrament of Holy Orders,
   and as the pope is, by definition, the bishop of Rome, women have never
   been eligible for the papacy; claims that there was a female Pope,
   including the legendary Pope Joan, are fictitious.

   A simple majority sufficed for an election until 1179, when the Third
   Lateran Council increased the required majority to two-thirds.
   Cardinals were not allowed to vote for themselves; an elaborate
   procedure was adopted to ensure secrecy while at the same time
   preventing cardinals from voting for themselves. In 1945, Pius XII
   dispensed with the procedure. He also increased the requisite majority
   to two-thirds plus one. In 1996, John Paul II restored the two-thirds
   majority requirement, but not the prohibition on cardinals voting for
   themselves. John Paul's constitution allows election by absolute
   majority if deadlock still prevails seven ballots after the address by
   the senior Cardinal Bishop.

   Electors formerly made choices by three methods: by acclamation, by
   compromise and by scrutiny. When voting by acclamation, the cardinals
   would unanimously declare the new Pope quasi afflati Spiritu Sancto (as
   if inspired by the Holy Spirit). When voting by compromise, the
   deadlocked College of Cardinals would select a committee of cardinals
   to conduct an election. When voting by scrutiny, the electors cast
   secret ballots. The last election by compromise was that of John XXII
   (1316), and the last election by acclamation was that of Gregory XV
   (1621). New rules introduced by John Paul II have formally abolished
   these long-unused systems; now, election is always by ballot.

Secular influence

   For the greater part of its history, the Church has been influenced in
   the choice of its leaders by powerful monarchs and governments. For
   example, the Roman Emperors once held considerable sway in the
   elections of Popes. In 418, Honorius settled a controverted election,
   upholding Boniface I over the challenger Eulalius. He ordered that in
   future cases, controverted elections would be settled by fresh
   elections; the method was never applied before its lapse. After the
   demise of the Western Roman Empire, clout passed to the Ostrogothic
   Kings of Italy. In 532, John II formally recognised the right of the
   Ostrogothic monarchs to ratify elections. By the end of the 530s, the
   Ostrogothic monarchy was overthrown, and power passed to the Byzantine
   Emperors (who are known as the Eastern Roman Emperors). A procedure was
   adopted whereby officials were required to notify the Exarch of Ravenna
   (who would relay the information to the Byzantine Emperor) upon the
   death of a Pope before proceeding to the election. Once the electors
   arrived at a choice, they were required to send a delegation to
   Constantinople requesting the Emperor's consent, which was necessary
   before the individual elected could take office. Lengthy delays were
   caused by the sojourns to and from Constantinople; when Benedict II
   complained about them, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IV acquiesced,
   ending the confirmation of elections by the Emperors. Thereafter, the
   Emperor was only required to be notified; the requirement was dispensed
   with by Pope Zachary and by his successors.

   In the 9th century, a new empire—the Holy Roman Empire, which was
   German, not Italian—came to exert control over the elections of Popes.
   While the first two Holy Roman Emperors, Charlemagne and Louis, did not
   interfere with the Church, Lothar claimed that an election could not be
   conducted except in the presence of imperial ambassadors. In 898, riots
   forced John IX to recognise the superintendence of the Holy Roman
   Emperor; the local secular rulers in Rome also continued to exert a
   great influence, especially during the tenth century period known as
   the Pornocracy.

   In 1059, the same papal bull that restricted suffrage to the cardinals
   also recognised the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor, at the time
   Henry IV, but only as a "concession" made by the Pope, thus
   establishing that the Holy Roman Emperor had no authority to intervene
   in elections except where permitted to do so by papal agreements.
   Gregory VII was the last to submit to the interference of the Holy
   Roman Emperors; the breach between him and the Holy Roman Empire caused
   by the Investiture Controversy led to the abolition of the Emperor's
   role. In 1119, the Holy Roman Empire acceded to the Concordat of Worms,
   accepting the papal decision.

   From the sixteenth century, certain Catholic nations were allowed to
   exercise the so-called "right of exclusion" or " veto". By an informal
   convention, each nation was allowed to veto not more than one papal
   candidate; any decision made by a nation was conveyed by one of its
   cardinals. The power of exclusion was, by the same custom, only
   exercisable by any nation once. Therefore, the nation's cardinals did
   not announce the use of the power until the very last moment when the
   candidate in question seemed likely to get elected. No vetoes could be
   employed after an election. After the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved
   in 1806, its place was taken by Austria (which was a part of the Empire
   and whose ruler was also Holy Roman Emperor). Austria became the last
   nation to exercise the power in 1903, when Cardinal Puzyna de Kosielsko
   informed the College of Cardinals that Austria opposed the election of
   Mariano Cardinal Rampolla (who had received 29 out of 60 votes in one
   ballot). Consequently, the College chose Giuseppe Cardinal Sarto with
   55 votes. Cardinal Sarto, who chose the name Pius X, abolished the
   right of the veto. He declared that any cardinal who communicated his
   government's veto would suffer excommunication, or expulsion from
   Church communal life.

Conclaves

   In earlier years, papal elections sometimes suffered prolonged
   deadlocks. To resolve them, authorities often resorted to the forced
   seclusion of the cardinal electors. The method was adopted, for
   example, in 1216 by the city of Perugia and in 1241 by the city of
   Rome. After the death of Clement IV in 1268, the city of Viterbo was
   also forced to resort to the seclusion of cardinals in the episcopal
   palace. When the cardinals still failed to elect a Pope, the city
   refused to send in any materials except bread and water. When even this
   failed to produce a Pope, the townpeople removed the roof over the
   cardinals' heads. As a result, the cardinals soon elected Gregory X,
   ending an interregnum of almost three years.

   To reduce further delays, Gregory X introduced stringent rules relating
   to the election procedures. Cardinals were to be secluded in a closed
   area; they were not even accorded separate rooms. No cardinal was
   allowed to be attended by more than one servant unless ill. Food was to
   be supplied through a window; after three days of the meeting, the
   cardinals were to receive only one dish a day; after five days, they
   were to receive just bread and water. During the conclave, no cardinal
   was to receive any ecclesiastical revenue.

   Gregory X's strict regulations were later abrogated in 1276 by Adrian
   V, but after he was elected in 1294 following a two-year vacancy,
   Celestine V restored them. In 1562, Pius IV issued a papal bull that
   introduced regulations relating to the secrecy of the ballots and other
   procedural matters. Gregory XV issued two bulls that covered the most
   minute of details relating to the election; the first, issued in 1621,
   concerned electoral processes, while the other bull, issued in 1622,
   fixed the ceremonies to be observed. In 1904, Pius X issued a
   constitution consolidating almost all of the previous ones, making some
   revamps. Several reforms were instituted by John Paul II in 1996.

   The location of the conclaves was not fixed until the fourteenth
   century. Since the Western Schism, however, elections have always been
   held in Rome (except in 1800, when Neapolitan troops occupying Rome
   forced the election to be held in Venice), and normally in the Vatican
   City (which has, since the Lateran treaties of 1929, been recognised as
   an independent state). Within Rome and the Vatican City, different
   locations have been used for the election. Since 1846, when the
   Quirinal Palace was used, the Sistine Chapel has always served as the
   location of the election. Popes have often written "election
   constitutions" fine-tuning the rules for the election of their
   successors: Pope Pius XII's Vacantis Apostolicae Sedis of 1945 governed
   the conclave of 1958, Pope John XXIII's Summi Pontificis Electio of
   1962 that of 1963, Pope Paul VI's Romano Pontifici Eligendo of 1975
   those of 1978, and John Paul II's Universi Dominici Gregis of 1996 that
   of 2005.

Modern practice

   In 1996, John Paul II promulgated a new Apostolic Constitution, called
   Universi Dominici Gregis (Shepherd of the Lord's Whole Flock), which,
   unless superseded by later regulations, now governs the election of the
   Pope's successor. The procedures outlined, however, in many cases date
   to much earlier times. Universi Dominici Gregis is the sole
   constitution governing the election; it abrogates all constitutions
   previously issued by Popes. Under Universi Dominici Gregis, the
   cardinals are to be lodged in a purpose-built edifice, the Domus Sanctæ
   Marthæ, but are to continue to vote in the Sistine Chapel.

   Several duties are performed by the Dean of the College of Cardinals,
   who is always a Cardinal Bishop. If the Dean is not entitled to
   participate in the conclave due to age, his place is taken by the
   Sub-Dean, who is also always a Cardinal Bishop. If the Sub-Dean also
   cannot participate, the senior Cardinal Bishop participating performs
   the functions.

   Since the College of Cardinals is a small body, some have suggested
   that the electorate should be expanded. Proposed reforms include a plan
   to replace the College of Cardinals as the electoral body with the
   Synod of Bishops, which includes many more members. Under present
   procedure, however, the Synod may only meet while called by the Pope.
   Universi Dominici Gregis explicitly provides that even if a Synod or
   ecumenical council is in session at the time of a Pope's death, it may
   not perform the election. Upon the Pope's death, either body's
   proceedings are suspended, to be resumed only upon the order of the new
   Pope.

   It is considered poor form to campaign for the position of Pope.
   However, there is inevitably always much speculation about which
   Cardinals have serious prospects of being elected. Speculation tends to
   mount when a Pope is ill or aged and shortlists of potential candidates
   appear in the media. A Cardinal who is considered to be a prospect for
   the papacy is referred to informally as being papabile (plural noun:
   papabili), the term being coined by Vatican watchers in the
   mid-twentieth century.[

Death of the Pope

   The Cardinal Camerlengo proclaims a papal death.
   Enlarge
   The Cardinal Camerlengo proclaims a papal death.

   The death of the Pope is verified by the Cardinal Camerlengo, or
   Chamberlain, who traditionally performed the task by gently striking
   the Pope's head with a small silver hammer and calling out his
   Christian (not papal) name three times. During the twentieth century
   the use of the hammer in this ritual has been abandoned; under Universi
   Dominici Gregis, the Camerlengo must merely declare the Pope's death by
   calling him three times by his Christian name in the presence of the
   Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, and of the Cleric Prelates,
   Secretary and Chancellor of the Apostolic Camera. The Cardinal
   Camerlengo takes possession of the Fisherman's Ring worn by the Pope;
   the Ring, along with the papal seal, is later destroyed before the
   College of Cardinals. The tradition originated to avoid forgery of
   documents, but today merely is a symbol of the end of the pope's reign.

   During the sede vacante, as the papal vacancy is known, certain limited
   powers pass to the College of Cardinals, which is convoked by the Dean
   of the College of Cardinals. All cardinals are obliged to attend the
   General Congregation of Cardinals, except those whose health does not
   permit, or who are over eighty (but those cardinals may choose to
   attend if they please). The Particular Congregation, which deals with
   the day-to-day matters of the Church, includes the Cardinal Camerlengo
   and the three Cardinal Assistants—one Cardinal Bishop, one Cardinal
   Priest and one Cardinal Deacon—chosen by lot. Every three days, new
   Cardinal Assistants are chosen by lot. The Cardinal Camerlengo and
   Cardinal Assistants are responsible, among other things, for
   maintaining the election's secrecy.

   The Congregations must make certain arrangements in respect of the
   Pope's burial, which by tradition takes place from four to six days of
   the Pope's death, leaving time for pilgrims to see the dead pontiff,
   and is to be followed by a nine-day period of mourning (this is known
   as the novemdiales, Latin for "nine days"). The Congregations also fix
   the date and time of the commencement of the conclave. The conclave
   normally takes place fifteen days after the death of the Pope, but the
   Congregations may extend the period to a maximum of twenty days in
   order to permit other cardinals to arrive in the Vatican City.

   A vacancy in the papal office may also result from a papal abdication,
   though no pope has abdicated since Gregory XII in 1415.

Beginning of the election

   The cardinals hear two sermons before the election: one before actually
   entering the conclave, and one once they are settled in the Sistine
   Chapel. In both cases, the sermons are meant to lay out the current
   state of the Church, and to suggest the qualities necessary for a pope
   to possess in that specific time. The first preacher in the 2005
   conclave was Fr. Rainero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the papal
   household and a member of the Capuchin Franciscan order, who spoke at
   one of the meetings of the cardinals held before the actual day when
   the conclave began. Cardinal Tomáš Špidlík, a former professor at the
   Pontifical Oriental Institute and a retired (thus, non-voting) member
   of the College of Cardinals, spoke just before the doors were finally
   closed for the conclave.

   On the morning of the day designated by the Congregations of Cardinals,
   the cardinal electors assemble in St Peter's Basilica to celebrate the
   Eucharist. Then, they gather in the afternoon in the Pauline Chapel of
   the Palace of the Vatican, proceeding to the Sistine Chapel while
   singing the Veni Creator Spiritus. The Cardinals then take an oath to
   observe the procedures set down by the apostolic constitutions; to, if
   elected, defend the liberty of the Holy See; to maintain secrecy; and
   to disregard the instructions of secular authorities on voting. The
   Cardinal Dean reads the oath aloud in full; in order of precedence, the
   other cardinal electors merely state, while touching the Gospels, that
   they "do so promise, pledge and swear."

   After all the cardinals present have taken the oath, the Master of the
   Papal Liturgical Celebrations orders all individuals other than the
   cardinals and conclave participants to leave the Chapel --
   traditionally, he stands at the door of the Sistine Chapel and calls
   out or states "Extra omnes," Latin for, roughly, "Everybody else, out!"
   He then closes the door.

   The Master himself may remain, as may one ecclesiastic designated by
   the Congregations prior to the commencement of the election. The
   ecclesiastic makes a speech concerning the problems facing the Church
   and on the qualities the new Pope needs to have. After the speech
   concludes, the ecclesiastic leaves. Following the recitation of
   prayers, the Cardinal Dean asks if any doubts relating to procedure
   remain. After the clarification of the doubts, the election may
   commence. Cardinals who arrive after the conclave has begun are
   admitted nevertheless. An ill cardinal may leave the conclave and later
   be readmitted; a cardinal who leaves for any reason other than illness
   may not return to the conclave.

   Each cardinal elector may be accompanied by two attendants or
   conclavists (three if the cardinal elector is ill). The Secretary of
   the College of Cardinals, the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations,
   two Masters of Ceremonies, two officers of the Papal Sacristy and an
   ecclesiastic assisting the Dean of the College of Cardinals are also
   admitted to the conclave. Priests are available to hear confessions in
   different languages; two doctors are also admitted. Finally, a strictly
   limited number of servant staff are permitted for housekeeping and the
   preparing and serving of meals. Secrecy is maintained during the
   conclave; the cardinals as well as the conclavists and staff are not
   permitted to disclose any information relating to the election.
   Cardinal electors may not correspond or converse with anyone outside
   the conclave, by post, radio, telephone or otherwise and eavesdropping
   is an offense punishable by excommunication latae sententiae - in fact,
   before the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, the Sistine Chapel
   was "swept" using the latest electronic devices to detect any hidden "
   bugs" or surveillance devices (there were no reports that any were
   found, but in previous conclaves there were discovered press reporters
   who had disguised themselves as conclave servants). Universi Dominici
   Gregis specifically prohibits media such as newspapers, the radio, and
   television.

Voting

   Cardinals formerly used these intricate ballot papers, one of which is
   shown folded above. Currently, the ballots are simple cards, folded
   once (like a note card), with the words "I elect as Supreme Pontiff
   ....." printed on them.
   Enlarge
   Cardinals formerly used these intricate ballot papers, one of which is
   shown folded above. Currently, the ballots are simple cards, folded
   once (like a note card), with the words "I elect as Supreme Pontiff
   ....." printed on them.

   On the afternoon of the first day, one ballot may be held. If a ballot
   take place on the afternoon of the first day and no-one is elected, or
   no ballot had taken place, four ballots are held on each successive
   day: two in each morning and two in each afternoon. If no result is
   obtained after three vote days of balloting, the process is suspended
   for a maximum of one day for prayer and an address by the senior
   Cardinal Deacon. After seven further ballots, the process may again be
   similarly suspended, with the address now being delivered by the senior
   Cardinal Priest. If, after another seven ballots, no result is
   achieved, voting is suspended once more, the address being delivered by
   the senior Cardinal Bishop. After a further seven ballots, the cardinal
   electors may decide by an absolute majority, to advise and change the
   election rules. This includes the possibility of eliminating all
   candidates except the two who have received the greatest number of
   votes in the previous ballot and reducing the majority require for an
   election. However, there can be no waiving of the requirement that a
   valid election takes place only by an absolute majority of the votes.

   The process of voting comprises three phases: the "pre-scrutiny," the
   "scrutiny," and the "post-scrutiny." During the pre-scrutiny, the
   Masters of the Ceremonies prepare ballot papers bearing the words Eligo
   in Summum Pontificem ("I elect as Supreme Pontiff") and provide at
   least two to each cardinal elector. As the cardinals begin to write
   down their votes, the Secretary of the College of Cardinals, the Master
   of Papal Liturgical Celebrations and the Masters of Ceremonies exit;
   the junior Cardinal Deacon then closes the door. The junior Cardinal
   Deacon then draws by lot nine names; the first three become
   Scrutineers, the second three Infirmarii and the last three Revisers.
   New Scrutineers, Infirmarii and Revisers are not selected again after
   the first ballot.

   Then the scrutiny phase of the election commences. The cardinal
   electors proceed, in order of precedence, to take their completed
   ballots (which bear only the name of the individual voted for) to the
   altar, where the Scrutineers stand. Before casting the ballot, each
   cardinal elector takes a Latin oath, which translates to: "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." If any cardinal
   elector is in the Chapel, but cannot proceed to the altar due to
   infirmity, the last Scrutineer may go to him and take his ballot after
   the oath is recited. If any cardinal elector is by reason of infirmity
   confined to his room, the Infirmarii go to their rooms with ballot
   papers and a box. Any such sick cardinals take the oath and then
   complete the ballot papers. When the Infirmarii return to the Chapel,
   the ballots are counted to ensure that their number matches with the
   number of ill cardinals; thereafter, they are deposited in the
   appropriate receptacle. This oath is taken by all cardinals only at the
   first vote of each two-vote voting session. One two-vote voting session
   is held in the morning and another in the afternoon. The oath is
   therefore anonymous, since the name of the elector is no longer signed
   on the ballot with that of the candidate. (Previously, the ballot was
   also signed by the elector and then folded over to cover the signature
   of the elector and then sealed to result in a semi-secret ballot. See
   example above.) This was the procedure prior to 1945. Above is a copy
   of the old three section semi-secret ballot, which was last used in the
   conclave of 1939. There was no oath taken when actually casting
   ballots, prior to 1621. Completely secret ballots were sometimes used
   prior to 1621, though in some conclaves prior to 1621, the cardinals
   verbally voted and sometimes stood in groups to faciliate counting the
   votes cast.

   Prior to 1621, the only oath taken was that of obedience to the rules
   of the conclave in force at that time, when the cardinals entered the
   conclave and the doors were locked. Gregory XV added the additional
   oath taken at the onset of each morning voting session and each
   afternoon voting session, to prevent cardinals wasting time in casting
   "courtesy votes" and instead narrowing the number of realistic
   candidates for the papal throne to perhaps only two or three. Speed in
   electing a pope was important, and that meant using an oath so as to
   get the cardinals down to the serious business of electing a new pope
   and narrowing the number of potentially electable candidates. The
   reforms of Gregory XV in 1621 and 1622 created the detailed
   step-by-step procedure in choosing a pope, that is essentially the same
   as that which was used in 2005 to elect Benedict XVI. The elimination
   of the rule that required the electors to sign their ballots resulted
   in that detailed voting procedure making use of anonymous oaths. This
   was perhaps the most significant change in the modern era detailed
   voting procedure, since that detailed voting procedure was first
   created in 1621. It was Pius XII who made this change in 1945.

   Once all votes have been cast, the first Scrutineer chosen shakes the
   container, and the last Scrutineer removes and counts the ballots. If
   the number of ballots does not correspond to the number of cardinal
   electors present, the ballots are burnt, unread, and the vote is
   repeated. If, however, no irregularities are observed, the ballots may
   be opened and the votes counted. Each ballot is unfolded by the first
   Scrutineer; all three Scrutineers separately write down the name
   indicated on the ballot. The last of the Scrutineers reads the name
   aloud.

   Once all of the ballots have been opened, the final post-scrutiny phase
   begins. The Scrutineers add up all of the votes, and the Revisers check
   the ballots and the names on the Scrutineers' lists to ensure that no
   error was made. The ballots are then all burnt by the Scrutineers with
   the assistance of the Secretary of the College and the Masters of
   Ceremonies. If the first election held in any given morning or
   afternoon does not result in an election, the cardinals proceed to the
   next vote immediately; the papers from both ballots are burnt together
   at the end of the second vote. The colour of the smoke signals the
   results to the people assembled in St Peter's Square. Dark smoke
   signals that the ballot did not result in an election, while white
   smoke signals that a new Pope was chosen. Originally, damp straw was
   added to the fire to create dark smoke; since 1958 chemicals have been
   used, and since 2005 bells ring after a successful election in case the
   white smoke is not unambiguously white.

   In 2004 security expert Bruce Schneier published a theoretical paper
   how election fraud in the papal election could be done.

Acceptance and proclamation

   Once the election concludes, the junior Cardinal Deacon summons the
   Secretary of the College of Cardinals and the Master of Papal
   Liturgical Celebrations into the hall. The Cardinal Dean then asks the
   Pope-elect if he assents to the election ("Do you accept your canonical
   election as Supreme Pontiff?"). If he does, and is already a bishop, he
   immediately takes office. If he is not a bishop, however, he must be
   first ordained as one before he can assume office. If a priest is
   elected, the Cardinal Dean ordains him bishop; if a layman is elected,
   then the Cardinal Dean first ordains him deacon, then priest, and only
   then bishop. Only after becoming a bishop does the Pope-elect take
   office.

   Since 533, the new Pope has also decided on the name by which he is to
   be called at this time. Pope John II was the first to adopt a new papal
   name; he felt that his original name, Mercurius, was inappropriate, as
   it was also the name of a Roman god. In most cases, even if such
   considerations are absent, Popes tend to choose new papal names; the
   last Pope to reign under his baptismal name was Pope Marcellus II
   (1555). After the papal name is chosen, the officials are readmitted to
   the conclave, and the Master of Pontifical Liturgical writes a document
   recording the acceptance and the new name of the Pope.

   Later, the new Pope goes to the "Room of Tears," a small red room next
   to the Sistine Chapel. The origin of the name is uncertain, but seems
   to imply the commixture of joy and sorrow felt by the newly chosen
   holder of the monumental office. The Pope dresses by himself, choosing
   a set of pontifical choir robes (white cassock, rochet and mozzetta)
   among the three sizes: small, medium and large. Then, he vests in a
   gold corded pectoral cross and a red embroidered stole. He wears a
   white zuchetto on his head.

   Next, the senior Cardinal Deacon (the Cardinal Protodeacon) appears at
   the main balcony of the basilica's façade to proclaim the new pope with
   the Latin phrase:

   Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
   Habemus Papam!
   Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
   Dominum [forename],
   Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [surname],
   qui sibi nomen imposuit [papal name].

   ("I announce to you a great joy:
   We have a Pope!
   The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord,
   Lord [forename],
   Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname],
   who takes to himself the name [papal name].")

   It has happened in the past that the Cardinal Protodeacon has himself
   been the person elected Pope. In such an event the announcement is made
   by the next senior Deacon, who has thus succeeded as Protodeacon, and
   not by the new Pope himself. During the election of Pope Pius X in 1903
   Protodeacon Prospero Cardinal Caterini was physically incapable of
   completing the announcement, so another made it for him.

   The new Pope then gives his first apostolic blessing, Urbi et Orbi ("to
   the City [Rome] and to the World"). Formerly, the Pope would be crowned
   by the triregnum or Triple Tiara at the Papal Coronation. John Paul I
   did not want the elaborate coronation ceremony for himself, choosing
   instead to be consecrated in a Papal Inauguration ceremony.

Historical voting patterns

   Moreover the newly elected pope often contrasts dramatically with his
   predecessor, a tendency expressed by the Italian saying "After a fat
   pope a lean pope". Past cardinals have often voted for someone
   radically different to the pope who appointed them. The controversial
   one-time populist turned conservative, long-lived Pope Pius IX
   (1846–1878) was succeeded by the aristocratic diplomatic Pope Leo XIII
   (1878–1903). He in turn was succeeded by the lower-class, bluntly
   outspoken Pope Pius X (1903–1914). Pius's rugged ultraconservatism
   contrasted with the low-key moderatism of Giacomo Cardinal della
   Chiesa, Pope Benedict XV (1914–1922), which again contrasted with the
   former librarian mountain-climber Achille Cardinal Ratti, Pope Pius XI
   (1922–1939), who led Roman Catholicism with an authoritarianism more
   akin to Pope Pius X, who also shared his temper. Pius XI was replaced
   in 1939 by the aristocratic ultra-insider Curialist, Pius XI's
   Secretary of State Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, Pope Pius XII (1939–1958).
   Pius XII was seen as one of the great thinkers in the papacy in the
   20th century. He was also the ultimate insider; his family were
   descended from the Roman aristocracy, with his brother working as a
   lawyer for the Holy See. Pius was then replaced by the lower-class,
   elderly, popular, informal Pope John XXIII (1958–1963). The contrast
   between diffident, intellectual and distant Pius XII and the humble, in
   his own words "ordinary" Good Pope John was dramatic, with none more
   surprised at the election than Pope John himself, who had his own
   return rail ticket in his pocket when he was elected.

   John proved to be a radical break with the two previous popes, and
   indeed with most of the popes of the 20th century. After a short but
   dramatic pontificate during which he convoked the Second Vatican
   Council which resulted in wide ranging changes in the church, the
   surprise John was replaced by the widely expected choice Cardinal
   Giovanni Montini, who many believed would have been elected in 1958,
   had he been a cardinal then. Montini, Pope Paul VI (1963–1978) like
   Pius XII, was a curialist. (He had worked with Pacelli in the 1930s and
   1940s in the curia.) Yet Pope Paul was succeeded (albeit for a short
   time) by the non-Curialist Pope John Paul I (1978), who it was said was
   chosen not as an experienced insider nor administrator, but as a
   "simple, holy man". He in turn was succeeded by the non-Italian Pope
   John Paul II (1978–2005), who was an intellectual heavyweight
   unprecedented since Pope Pius XII. He was then replaced by the German
   Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and at the
   same time, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Joseph Cardinal
   Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI after more than a quarter of a century in
   2005. He is the second non-Italian and the first German Pontiff to be
   elected since Pope Adrian VI (an ethnic German born in future Dutch
   territory of the Holy Roman Empire, so he was German in terms of his
   ethnicity and citizenship).

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