Who Will Be The Next Pope?

On Monday, 21st April, Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) passed on at Saint Martha House in the Vatican City. The funeral is set to be held on Saturday, 26th April. This will be followed by novendiales, the official 9 days of mourning.

The Pope (also known as 'The Bishop of Rome') has been a vital position in the Catholic Church for centuries, leading the world to look to who will take this position of influence.

How is the Next Pope Selected?

The history of the Papacy states that a pope changes in the event of death or resignation. The latter has been the most common case, but few popes in the past have resigned due to reasons such as inadequacy.

What is the Process of Papacy Election?

The Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals, more specifically the Cardinals under the age of 80 with voting eligibility (known as the Conclave). The successor is picked over the next few weeks in the Sistine Chapel. Voting and ballots are first drawn under Michelangelo’s painted ceiling.

The cardinals vote by secret ballot, praying before they drop a twice-folded ballot into a large chalice (a standing cup). Four rounds of balloting are taken every day (two in the morning and two in the afternoon) until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. The result of each ballot is counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as overseers. This process usually takes a few days.

If no candidate receives the necessary two-thirds, the ballots are burned in a stove with a mixture of chemicals. This produces black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, which indicates that a new pope has not yet been elected. If no pope is elected after three days, the cardinals pause for prayer and reflection before continuing.

When a cardinal does receive the necessary two-thirds majority, following further prayer and discussion, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts his election. If he does, he is asked by what name he wishes to be called. The new pope chooses a papal name, which is officially recorded. The new pope is then dressed in papal vestments.

When a papal conclave elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as successor to Pope Benedict XVI on 13 March 2013, he chose Francis as his papal name in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi.

The final ballots are burned with chemicals which produce white smoke, publically signalling the election of a new pope. The senior cardinal deacon announces from the balcony of St Peter’s, “Habemus Papam!” (“We have a Pope!”) before the new pope steps onto the balcony and gives his first blessing, "Urbi et Orbi" (“To the City and the World”).

Whether you follow the Papacy or not, for centuries it has been and will be an event that the world acknowledges. The Pope has a global influence with the far-reaching influence of the Catholic Church, and now the world awaits the next head of the Catholic Church.

Glossary

Cardinal… a leading position in the whole Catholic Church, nominated by the current Pope, and forms the College of Cardinals, which elects future Popes.

Catholic Church… a type of Christian denomination with the claim of being a worldwide, universal and inclusive body of believers.

Papacy… the duration and position of a current Pope.

Papal… a term used to do with the Catholic Church or the Pope.

Pope (aka the Bishop of Rome)... the head of the Catholic Church.

Sistine Chapel… located in the Vatican City, is a papal chapel named after Pope Sixtus IV, famous for being the site where cardinals gather to elect a new pope. 

Sources

Catholic Bishops' Conference: Catholic Church in England And Wales

Commonslibrary