The late Pope Francis
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The process to elect a new Pope following the death of Pope Francis has kicked off. A period of mourning, which is a necessity, is under way. This will be followed by the conclave, a closed-door meeting where cardinals will elect the new pontiff.
The conclave will begin about two weeks after the death of the Pope, during a period known as sede vacante (Latin for “empty throne”).
According to information from the Vatican, the Pope’s official seat, the College of Cardinals, consisting of cardinals under 80 years of age, will cast ballots in the Sistine Chapel until a two-thirds majority is reached.
“When a Pope dies, the dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals calls for a meeting of all cardinals eligible to vote, who must be under the age of 80. They must all travel to the Vatican to do so,” reads a brief from the Holy Sea.
It further says that Cardinals will soon gather under Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling to elect Francis’s successor. There are currently 135 eligible cardinals.
Public viewing of the late Pope Francis will be permitted on Thursday
There are more than 250 cardinals from more than 90 countries, but only about 135 are cardinal electors, since those over the age of 80 are excluded.
The College of Cardinals, the Catholic church’s most senior figures appointed by the pontiff, are the only ones eligible to vote.
The cardinals will swear an oath of absolute secrecy, and will be permitted no contact with the outside world for the duration of the election process. Their phones will be removed, and no newspapers, television, letters or messages will be allowed. The chapel will also swept for listening devices before and during the conclave.
Sistine Chapel
Inside the Sistine Chapel, the codified home of conclave, paper ballots will be passed out to each cardinal, who will write the name of their chosen candidate below the words “Eligo in Summum Pontificem,” translated in Latin as “I elect as supreme pontiff.”
When they’re done, each cardinal – in order of seniority – will walk to the altar to ceremoniously place his folded ballot into a chalice. The votes will then be counted, and the result will be read to the cardinals.
If any particular cardinal, upon receiving two-thirds of the vote, will become the new pope.
The late Pontiff
The Cardinals are expected to cast as many as four votes a day – two in the morning and two in the afternoon. This will be done on the second, third and fourth days of the conclave.
The fifth day will be set aside to break for prayer and discussion, and then voting will continue for an additional seven rounds. After that, there’s another break and the pattern resumes.
“We have a pope”
After each round of voting, the ballot cards are burned. Chemicals are added to make the smoke black or white. White smoke will announce to the world that a new pope has been elected.
The successful candidate will then be asked if they accept the election. If he accepts, they will be asked which name they choose to take as pontiff. The cardinals will then pledge obedience to the new pope, who is led into the adjacent Room of Tears to be dressed in a white cassock and skull cap, and red slippers.
The dean of the cardinals will then step on to the main balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, in front of which thousands of Catholic devotees and tourists will be gathered, and declare: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam” – “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope.”
About 30 to 60 minutes after the white smoke, the new Pope will appear on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
