As Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 years, time has now come for the Vatican to elect a new Pope, who will take the place of Pope Francis. There are a number of set rules and rituals that the Vatican has in place, which need to be followed for the election of the new Pope.
The present state that the church has entered now after Pope Francis’ death is known as “sede vacante.” This Latin phrase means “empty seat” and refers to the vacant position of the Pope. This state can go on for several weeks as Pope Francis’ funeral is held and there are closed-door meetings to elect the next Pope.
The College of Cardinals, led by the camerlengo temporarily takes over the church during a period like this. They remain in power till the next Pope is elected. Presently, the Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell is the camerlengo and thus he will be leading the church besides overseeing the certification of Pope Francis’ death, “sealing the papal apartments and preparing for his burial.”
Since there is no Pope in charge now, major decisions regarding the Vatican will remain on hold until the next Pope comes into power. Following the rules of the Vatican, a “conclave” is to be held after 15-20 days of the Pope’s death. A conclave refers to a meeting where cardinals elect the next Pope.
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As reported by New York Post, “The meeting will take place in the Sistine Chapel, the famed hall within the Vatican that’s adorned with Michelangelo’s paintings, where cardinals will take an oath of secrecy before sealing the doors. Once the conclave begins, the cardinals won’t be allowed to leave the Vatican until they have chosen a new pope.”
It is further mentioned, “They will sleep in the Casa Santa Marta hotel inside the Vatican grounds and won’t have access to phones, the internet or newspapers. Only 138 of the 253 cardinals will be able to serve as electors in the conclave — up from a previous limit of 120 — and no cardinals over the age of 80 can participate in voting.”
The voting process will continue with two daily ballot sessions until one candidate has secured more than two thirds of the votes. During the sessions that the majority is not reached, the ballots are burnt using an additive that produces black smoke, which lets the outside world know that the Pope has not been chosen yet.
However, once a candidate has gotten the majority of votes, the ballots are then burnt with a different additive that produces white smoke and thus the world outside comes to know that they have a new Pope.
After this newly elected Pope is asked if he is ready to take on the position and what name he wants to have, the senior cardinal deacon reveals his name from the main balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.
