VATICAN CITY – Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, the process to elect a new Pope has officially begun.
The death of the beloved pontiff has triggered a series of steps in accordance with Vatican protocol, leading to the organization of a papal conclave to select the new Bishop of Rome.
The first major step in this process will be the public display of Pope Francis’ body in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful will be allowed to pay their respects.
Following this, a ceremony led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals will take place, with the Camerlengo then overseeing the preparatory steps for the upcoming conclave.
This process must commence within 15 to 20 days following the Pope’s death, in accordance with Vatican tradition.
The Conclave and Voting Process
The conclave to select the new Pope will take place in the Sistine Chapel after a special mass.
Elector cardinals, all under the age of 80, will gather to vote on the new pontiff, with a two-thirds majority required to select the new Pope.
Voting will occur up to four times per day, and after each vote, smoke will be emitted from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel to indicate the results.
Black smoke signals that no decision has been made, while white smoke will indicate the election of a new Pope.
When the new Pope is chosen, the iconic phrase “Habemus Papam” will be declared from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the new pontiff will accept the role and choose his papal name.
An Ancient Process
The procedure to elect a new Pope has remained virtually unchanged for over 800 years.
The conclave is governed by several long-standing rules, including the requirement that only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, all voters must be male and Catholic, and the two-thirds majority rule applies except after the 34th ballot, when the election process narrows to the two candidates who received the most votes in the prior round.
A unique feature of the conclave process is that the names of the cardinals responsible for organizing the voting are drawn randomly.
These nine cardinals include three scrutineers who oversee the ballots, three who collect the votes, and three who review the ballots to ensure fairness.
