March 13, 2013

Cardinals vote beneath the painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, completed by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. (Detail of a fresco (1509); SCALA/Art Resource)

Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church entered the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City,  yesterday to begin the conclave—the process of voting for a new pontiff, or pope. The word conclave is from the Latin for a room that may be locked. After a special mass, the monsignor running the conclave announces “Extra omens,” Latin for Everyone out. The voting cardinals are then locked into the Sistine Chapel. Cardinals have attended the conclave in the Sistine Chapel since 1492.

Of the more than 200 men in the College of Cardinals, the group that votes for a new pope, only 115 were eligible to vote in 2013. Cardinals who were age 80 or older on the day that Pope Benedict XVI resigned, February 28, 2013, may not vote in the conclave.

Before they enter the conclave, the cardinals swear an oath of secrecy about the proceedings. Cardinals caught breaking the oath are excommunicated. In addition, in 2013, the chapel was carefully checked for listening devices and devices that jam electronic communication were installed.

In 1268, cardinals took nearly three years before finally choosing Gregory X as pope. Since the early 1900′s, however, no conclave has lasted more than a few days.

After the first day of the conclave, the cardinals vote four times per day until two-thirds of them have agreed on a candidate. The vote is taken on paper ballots, and after the ballots are counted they are burned. The smoke rising from the chimney of the chapel indicates to the outside world whether a new pope has been chosen. Chemicals are added to the ballots to make the smoke appear black or white. Black smoke indicates that no candidate won the election. White smoke issued from the chimney announces the election of a new pope.

The election of a pope is announced to the outside world by white smoke emerging from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. (Francois Lochon, Gamma/Liaison)

Once a pope is chosen, he has a little time to pray and choose his new name. Then, he dons his new robes. Because the papal tailors do not know who will next wear these robes, they provide a complete set of  clothing and shoes in different sizes.

When the pope is ready, he makes his first appearance to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Additional World Book articles:

• Pope
• Vatican City

Another website of interest:

• Vatican: The Holy See

February 11, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI summoned a meeting of cardinals in Vatican City and announced that he would step down from his role as leader of the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.2 billion members on February 28, 2013. The pontiff stated that his age and deteriorating strength no longer permitted him to perform his papal duties.  Vatican officials and Roman Catholics around the world were stunned by the news. Centuries have elapsed since a pope resigned from office. The last was Gregory XII, who left office under pressure in 1415 to end what is known as the Great Schism–a period of civil war within the church when three different men each claimed to be pope. The last voluntary resignation by a pope was even longer ago, when Celestine V abdicated in 1294.

After Benedict’s resignation takes effect, cardinals will gather at a conclave in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.  Of the 118 cardinals currently eligible to vote, two-thirds of them must agree on a candidate for that man to become pope. Church officials hoped that a new pope could be chosen by Easter (March 31) of 2013.

Benedict XVI at his inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square in 2005 (© Franco Origlia, Getty Images)

Benedict had served as pope for fewer than eight years. Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, he was appointed as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 1977.

He was elected the 265th pope in 2005 and took the name of Benedict. At age 78, he was one of the oldest men elected to the papacy. Benedict held office during a difficult time in the history of the modern church. His papacy was dogged by controversy, particularly the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy members. When he was a cardinal, Benedict had been head of the church’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office that oversees such priestly abuse. As pope, Benedict apologized for any harm done to children abused by Catholic clergy.

Additional World Book articles:

• Roman Catholic Church
• John Paul II 1920-2005 (a special report)

Another website of interest:

• Vatican: The Holy See