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Cardinals will begin voting to elect a new pope in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, 7 May. 

Professor Rebecca Rist, papal expert at the 伊人直播app, provides insights into how the conclave ceremony works. 

Professor Rebecca Rist is available for interview. Contact the 伊人直播app Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk

Read Professor Rebecca Rist’s previous expert comments: 

• Pope Francis: his legacy and what happens next

• What Pope Francis’s funeral will look like

• Watch and download Professor Rebecca Rist discussing Pope Francis's legacy via

The Conclave

Professor Rebecca Rist said: “The process of choosing a new pope is that the cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel (Rome) and there is then a series of ballots. To become pope the candidate must gain a two thirds majority. There is one ballot on the first day and up to four subsequently. The balloting is done in secret - so no one knows how each cardinal will vote. If a ballot is inconclusive, black smoke will emanate from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Once a pope has been agreed on, white smoke will emanate from the chimney and the world will know there is a new pope.  

“The origins of the College of Cardinals date back in some form to the seventh century, but it was during the pontificate of Nicholas II (1059-1061), in 1059, that it was decided that the College of Cardinals should become, in principle, the elective body for all popes hereafter. The word ‘Conclave’ comes from the Latin words ‘con clave’ – ‘with a key’ which emphasises that the cardinals are sequestered to allow them to deliberate and pray without outside disturbance for a successor to St Peter. The origins of the Conclave come from the thirteenth century when after a ‘sede vacante’ (‘vacant see’) i.e. interregnum period of over two and half years in which eventually purportedly the cardinals’ food rations had to be limited to ensure that they made up their mind, Gregory X (1271-1276) was finally elected pope. In response he laid down the rules for electing a pope which form the basis for the Conclave as we know it today. 

“In the twentieth century there were a number of efforts to modernise the Conclave process. These include: in 1945 Pius XII (1939-1958) removed the law against a pope voting for himself and increased the required majority to be two-thirds plus one. In the 1970s under Paul VI (1963-1978) it was decided that only members of the College of Cardinals below the age of 80 could vote. During the pontificate of John Paul II (1978-2005) it was agreed that after twelve days of voting, if the cardinals in the Conclave had been unable to elect a pope through the ballot process with a two thirds majority, a candidate might win with 50% of the vote plus one vote; this was reversed by Benedict XVI (2005-2013). 

The Cardinals    

Professor Rebecca Rist said: “There are currently 252 cardinals in the College, of which 135 have the right to vote because they are under 80. Of these 133 are intending to vote in the Conclave 2025. There are currently 22 cardinals who are very senior among the clergy in terms of experience and ability, of which it is estimated that roughly 12 are ‘papabili’ – potential future popes. 

“Increasingly we are seeing a global papacy, not least because Francis I (2013-2025) shortly before his death appointed many new cardinals including from countries not previously represented. The College of Cardinals is deeply aware of the importance of emphasising the global nature of the Catholic Church in a post-colonial, post-imperial age when Catholicism and Christianity is currently flourishing not in the West, but in the developing world. Names which have been put forward as potentially ‘papabili’ include e.g. Cardinal Robert Sarah (Guinea), seen as a ‘conservative’/’traditional’ candidate and e.g. Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline (France), seen as generally more on the ‘liberal’/’progressive’ wing. 

“The Conclave is conducted through a series of secret ballots and so the voting process is between the cardinals and their consciences. In that sense it is unpredictable because it is dangerous to assume that a reputed liberal/progressive or conservative/traditional cardinal will necessarily remain so in the secrecy of the ballot. Since Pope Francis came from South America it is unlikely that another South American will be elected in the Conclave 2025. A pope from Africa, Asia or Europe is probable, although the fact that so many Italians have been popes in the past makes Italy a less likely choice. 

“The age of the cardinal candidate is also likely to be an important factor as it may affect the length of pontificate, how much they are able to achieve as pope, and who they are likely to appoint as advisers. Therefore, as well as the holiness of the individual, his leadership qualities and his worthiness to be the successor of St Peter and the bishop of Rome, age and geographical provenance will be serious considerations in the voting process.” 

The New Pope

Professor Rebecca Rist said: “When the new pope has finally been elected by the College of Cardinals white smoke will emanate from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.  He is then brought out on the balcony of St Peter’s and the protodeacon – the senior cardinal deacon of the Conclave - declares to all in St Peter’s Square ‘habemus papam’ – ‘we have a pope’. This harkens back to the ancient practice of the pope being hailed – and sometimes even elected as in the case of e.g. the famous eleventh-century pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) - by the Roman clergy and people (‘clerus et populus’). Following the election there will be an inaugural mass, usually in the piazza outside Saint Peter’s Basilica i.e. in St Peter’s Square. Some of the rituals and regalia which we will see will include the bestowing of the pallium, a special woollen scarf which is placed around the shoulders of the pope as a symbol of his universal jurisdiction over the Church. 

“The new pope is also given a special ring called the ‘Ring of the Fisherman’ which signifies that he is the direct successor of St Peter who was both fisherman and disciple. In medieval and early modern times, the pope was also crowned with the papal tiara to represent his rule in the papal states, but the last pope to be thus crowned was Paul VI (1963-1978) in the twentieth century and he gave away this crown to the poor. Since the inauguration of John Paul I (1978) this coronation has therefore been dropped – which makes sense since all that remains of the popes’ formal temporal power today is Vatican City.”