Papal Elections

 

When a pope dies, the prefect of the papal household informs the Cardinal Camerlengo of the sad news. The Camerlengo - presently Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo of Spain - then verifies that the pope is dead. Traditionally, this was done by tapping the pope three times on the forehead with a silver hammer, while calling out his name. When the pope did not reply, he was declared to be dead. Nowadays, it is a doctor who makes the verification.

Once it has been confirmed that the pope has died, the Camerlengo carries out three more duties in quick succession. Firstly, he removes the pope's Fisherman's Ring so that it can be broken before the start of the conclave. Historically, this was to ensure that no instructions could be issued in the pope's name after his death. Secondly, the papal apartment is sealed off to prevent the theft of any of the pope's private possessions. Thirdly, he authorises the issuing of the death certificate. As all this is happening, the Camerlengo must also inform the Cardinal Vicar of Rome of what has happened. It is the Cardinal Vicar (presently Cardinal Camillo Ruini of Italy) who makes the public announcement of the pope's passing.

With the pope's death the Holy See becomes vacant. Under the present rules, the conclave that will elect the new pope must begin no earlier than fifteen days and no later than twenty days later. The gap of fifteen days is to allow the cardinals who live in the remotest corners of the world time to make their way to Rome. The cut-off point of twenty days is to make sure that the Church does not remain leaderless for too long.

Before the conclave begins, however, the Church enters a period of mourning, split in two by the funeral of the Servant of the Servants of God.

Opus Dei

While the period of mourning is in effect, it might be thought that the work of God in the Church comes to a halt. After all, when the pope dies, all his officials in Rome automatically lose their jobs - and no Government can run without its civil service. On the one hand, it is true that certain officials in the Vatican do lose their jobs. Others, however, keep them so that the spiritual and material business of the Church is not brought to a halt. The officials who keep their jobs are:

Those who lose their  jobs are:

The reason why these positions are vacated is because the office holders are representatives of the late pope. Now that he is dead, they must leave their office so that the new pope can appoint those men that he wishes to act as his representatives.

The Sacred College of Cardinals

As the Church mourns for her pope, the Cardinal Dean (in April 2005 this was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany) summons the cardinals of the Catholic Church to Rome so that they can prepare for the pope's funeral and the conclave. Every cardinal must heed the Dean's call unless he has a legitimate reason for doing otherwise. During this interregnum period, the Sacred College of Cardinals forms the provisional Government of the Catholic Church. Its powers, however are limited; for example, it is not allowed to make any decisions that are binding on the next pope.

Every day the Sacred College assembles in the Vatican Palace for the General Cardinalitial Congregations. All cardinals take part in this meeting, whether they are electors or not (Cardinal Electors are those cardinals who are under the age of 80 who will take part in the conclave). The only cardinals who are excused from the General Congregations are those older members whose age forbids them to come.  

The Funeral of the Pope

At the General Congregations - under the direction of the Camerlengo - the cardinals make the arrangements for the funeral rites of the pope. In his Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis John Paul II decreed that the funeral of the pope should take place four to six days following his death. Only in  exceptional circumstances may it take place later.

The Cardinal Dean is the chief celebrant at the funeral. The pope is buried in the crypt underneath St Peter's Basilica. His coffin is made of cypress wood, which is encased in a lead coffin, this also is encased in a third coffin, which is made of elmwood.

Following the funeral, a second period of mourning begins. It lasts nine days and for this reason is called novendiales - nine days, in Italian.

Preparing for the Conclave

As mentioned above, it is the Cardinal Camerlengo who is responsible for the organisation of the conclave. Three cardinal assistants, chosen by lot, help him in this solemn duty. These assistants are drawn from each rank of cardinal (bishop, priest and deacon) and are replaced by three more assistants every three days. Meetings of the Camerlengo and his assistants are called particular congregations.

Domus S Marthae

Up until the 1978 cardinals arriving at the Vatican for the conclave were obliged to stay in uncomfortable makeshift cells in the Vatican Palace. Not only were these cells cold and draughty but they were also a firetrap, being made of inflammable materials. John Paul II authorised the construction of a special residence in the Vatican called St Martha's House, which he opened on 31st May 1996. It contains 130 quarters with accompanying facilities.

The Conclave

At the General Cardinalitial Congregations, the Sacred College of Cardinals decides on which day the conclave will be held. Up until the conclave to decide Pope John Paul II's successor, there was no doubt about its where it would be held - in the Sistine Chapel, under the Biblical paintings of Michelangelo. But it was not always thus; in the Middle Ages, papal elections took place in the basilica of St. John Lateran, where the pope lived. Of interest to Catholics in London is that in 1431 and 1447 the conclaves that elected Eugenius IV and Nicholas V took place in the Roman church of S Maria sopra Minerva, which is at present the titular church of our Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor. On 5th April 2005, the BBC web site reported the following:

A Vatican spokesman [has said that] the conclave will be held throughout the whole city-state for the first time in its history. This means cardinals will be free to move between different parts of the complex, although they will still be barred from contact with the outside world.

Which Cardinals may vote?

In 1587 Pope Sixtus V decreed that the Sacred College could have a maximum of seventy members. In 1973, Pope Paul VI raised that number to 120 to take into account the growing number of cardinals from around the world.

It has already been said that the conclave must begin no later than twenty days following the pope's death. Should a cardinal arrive at the conclave after that point, he will still be admitted and allowed to take part in the election - from whatever stage the conclave has reached. The only time that a cardinal would be refused admission to the conclave would be if he (the cardinal) had refused to enter it at its opening or left it without good reason or with the permission of (the majority of) the Sacred College.

Other Officials

Apart from the Cardinal Electors, the following officials are also allowed to enter a conclave:

The presence of the above, however, is dependant upon the approval of the Camerlengo and his assistants.

On the morning on which the conclave opens, the Electors celebrate a votive mass in St Peter's Basilica to ask the Holy Spirit to guide them as they set about the election of a new pope. In the afternoon, they enter the Sistine Chapel singing Veni, Creator Spiritus. The order in which the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel is according to seniority: first the Dean, then the cardinal bishops, followed by the cardinal priests and deacons. After them come the other officials and assistants.

Once the cardinals are seated, the Dean reads out the oath which enjoins the cardinals to uphold the laws of the election and to maintain the secrecy which is essential to it. One by one the electors takes the oath, concluding with this formula:

And I, X. Cardinal X., do so promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I touch with my hand.  

When every cardinal elector has taken the oath, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations calls out: Extra omnes! which means 'All out!'. Anyone who does not have the right to be part of the conclave now leaves the Sistine Chapel. The Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations stays behind just long enough for a specially appointed orator to address the cardinals on the importance of what they are about to do and the necessity for them to act with integrity and openness to the action of the Holy Spirit. Then he and the Master leave and the election of the new pope begins.

Candidates for the Papacy

Technically, any Christian man of good standing could be elected pope. In practise, however, not only does a candidate need to be a priest but also a cardinal. The last priest to be elected who was not a cardinal was Bartolomeo Prignano, Archbishop of Bari, in 1378. He took the name Urban VI. Unfortunately, his election brought about a schism in the Church that lasted for forty years. At its nadir, three popes competed for the loyalty of Christians. It is possible for a cardinal to be elected pope who is a priest but not a bishop. The last time this happened was in 1831 when a Camaldolese abbot named Cardinal  Mauro Alberto Cappellari was elected. Four days later, he was crowned Pope Gregory XVI - but not before he had been ordained a bishop. Should the same thing happen again, then as soon as his election to the papacy is announced (and before the cardinals pay him homage - see below) the pope-elect is ordained by the Dean.

Voting

In Universi Dominici Gregis John Paul II stipulated that the papal election had to be decided by secret ballot and that the winning candidate had to obtain two thirds of the votes in order to be validly elected pope. If the number of cardinals means that the total number of votes to be cast is not divisible into three, then the winner must achieve two thirds of the vote, plus one.

After entering the conclave, the cardinals are given their voting forms. These are rectangular sheets of paper on which the following words are printed: Eligo in Summum Pontificem, meaning, 'I elect as Supreme Pontiff'. Underneath these words, the cardinal writes his preferred candidate's name, disguising his writing as much as possible to preserve the secrecy of the ballot. Having written his preferred candidate's name, the cardinal folds it lengthways and approaches the altar of the Sistine Chapel. The vote is then placed in a large chalice. Before casting his vote, the cardinal announces,

I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one whom, before God, I think should be elected.

The cardinal then places his vote on a paten and slides the ballot paper into the chalice. After bowing reverently to the altar (which is a symbol of Christ) he then returns to his seat. If there are any cardinals in the conclave who have been too ill to come to the Sistine Chapel, an infirmarian goes to their room in the Domus S Marthae with an election box and collects their vote. The infirmarian then returns to the Sistine Chapel where the box is presented to the scrutineers, that is, the cardinals who count the votes, who then unlock it and place the vote (or votes) on the paten and slide it into the chalice. Up to three infirmarians are used to visit sick cardinals - after they have cast their own votes in the election.

When every cardinal in the conclave has voted, the votes are counted by the three scrutineers. If it is found that the number of ballots does not match the number of cardinal electors then the ballot is declared void and the voting process begun again. If all is well, the three scrutineers do the following:-

i. the first scrutineer opens each ballot, reads and makes a note of the name written on it. Without speaking, he passes it to the second scrutineer.

ii. the second scrutineer then exactly the same thing before passing the vote to the third scrutineer.

iii. the third scrutineer reads out the name to the conclave.

Smoke from the Chimney

When all the votes have been read out, one of the scrutineers announces the number of votes each cardinal received. If a cardinal has received two thirds (or two thirds plus one) of the vote then the election is over, for a pope has been validly elected. The ballot papers are then threaded together and burnt in a stove. Traditionally, the resulting white smoke that has emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney has told the world that a new pope has been elected. In 2005, however, due to the fact that the white smoke has in the past been quite grey in colour and, therefore, confusing to the awaiting crowds, the Vatican has announced that the white smoke will be accompanies by the peal of church bells.

But if no one cardinal received the necessary majority, the ballot papers are burnt with a special chemical that causes black smoke to be emitted. As it emerges from the Sistine Chapel chimney the world sees that the election has proved inconclusive and must continue.          

Deadlock

Only one ballot is held on the first day of the conclave. If it does not produce a result, then ballots will be held on the following morning and afternoon. If three days pass without the election being concluded, the voting is suspended to allow the cardinals time for prayer. They may also take part in informal discussions among themselves. This suspension only lasts for a day or so.

The voting will then begin again. If, after seven more ballots, there is still no result, then the cardinals take a second break. This pattern of seven ballots - break - seven ballots continues until at least thirty ballots have been held. If there is still deadlock the Cardinal Camerlengo will halt the election and ask his fellow cardinals if any of them can suggest a way by which it might be broken. If he receives a suggestion then, providing that a majority of the electors agree to it, the election continues along those lines. In this eventuality, a two thirds (pus one) majority is no longer required for the winning candidate to be validly elected pope. In Universi Dominici Gregis, John Paul II decreed that the winner need only obtain an absolute majority. In other words, he would need 51% of the vote.

After the Election

Upon the election of a new pope the junior cardinal deacon calls the Secretary of the Conclave and the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations to the Sistine Chapel. Once they have arrived, the Cardinal Dean asks the pope-elect: "Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?". As soon as the winner replies, "Yes." he becomes pope. The Cardinal Dean then asks him, "By what name do you wish to be called?". The practise of taking a papal name goes back to Pope John II (533 - 535) whose baptismal name was Mercury. Obviously, it was not really appropriate for a pope to have the name of a pagan god! The inspiration for taking a new name when becoming pope can actually be traced back to St Peter himself. His birth name was Simon, but when Jesus appointed him the first pope of what would at Pentecost become the Catholic Church, Our Lord gave him the name Peter, meaning rock.

Once the new pope has announced his papal name, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations becomes responsible for drawing up a document that testifies to the validity of the election and the winning candidate's papal name. His two assistants act as witnesses to the document's truth.

Then, the new pope is taken to the robing room. There, he is clothed in his papal dress - white soutane, white silk sash, lace rochet (similar to a surplice, worn over the soutane), red slippers, scarlet shoulder cape, stole and white zucchetto (a skull cap). As the cardinals come in all shapes and sizes, the robing room contains three sizes of the soutane (small, medium and large) so that the pope can choose whichever one fits him best.

Thus dressed, the pope returns to the Sistine Chapel and sits down upon a faldstool in front of the altar to receive the homage of the cardinals. Before they come forward, however, the Camerlengo gives him his Fisherman's Ring, the symbol of his office. He does not keep it for long as it is taken back afterwards so that the pope's papal name can be engraved around the rim.

When all of the cardinals have paid homage to the pope, they sing the fifth century hymn Te Deum.

Habemus Papam...

By the time the Te Deum has been sung, half an hour will have passed since the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney alerted the crowds gathered in St Peter's Square that a new pope had been elected - plenty of time for them to transfer their gaze from the Sistine Chapel to the central loggia of St Peter's Basilica. As the doors open and the senior cardinal deacon steps out onto the loggia, a hush will come over the square. The cardinal then announces in Latin:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam! [Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum, Dominum] N. [Cardinalem] N., qui sibi nomen imposuit N.

I announce a great joy to you; we have a pope! The [Most eminent and] most Reverend Lord N. [Cardinal] N., who has taken the name N.

The pope then steps out onto the loggia to give his first apostolic blessing - Urbi et Orbi 'to the city and the world'.

Shortly afterwards, the Sacred College of Cardinals form a circle - or crown - around the pope. The senior Cardinal Deacon places on him the symbol of his authority as pope - the Pallium; a narrow band which is placed on his shoulders. It is embroidered with with six black silk crosses and is held in place by three jewelled gold pins. As the pope is invested with the Pallium, the cardinal deacon says:

Blessed be God, Who has chosen you as Shepherd of the Universal Church, entrusting you with this apostolic ministry. May you shine brilliantly during long years of earthly life, until, when called by our Lord, you are vested with immortality as you enter his celestial kingdom. Amen.

When the pope has received the Pallium, the cardinals come forward to repeat their act of homage. In return, the pope gives to them the Kiss of Peace. Finally, as if to crown the whole occasion, the Holy Father then presides over celebration of Holy Mass. The election concludes with the pope imparting the apostolic blessing once more Urbi et Orbi.

 

The writer would like to acknowledge his thanks to the Catholic Truth Society; without the help of its booklet The Election of a Pope by Charles Burns this article could not have been written. The booklet - and all other CTS products - can be bought via its website here.

 

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