Anxiously, thousands of people gather in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Each one fixes their eyes on the small chimney perched above the Sistine Chapel. After long hours, a puff of white smoke begins to emanate, dispersing into the sky. Shortly after, the well-known “Habemus papam” (“We have a pope!”) resounds.

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The protocol for electing a new pope is often associated with this image. However, the secular process is characterized by a ritual and a ceremony that, although known worldwide, maintains a certain secrecy as it is held behind closed doors.

Below, we explain what happens when a pope’s pontificate ends, either by his death or, on rare occasions, his resignation.

According to the Brittanica encyclopedia, after the end of a papacy, the Cardinal Camerlengo, the personal representative of the Sagrado Colegio de Cardenales in the administration of the Church, proceeds to install himself in the Vatican palace.

The cardinal pronounces the baptismal name of the supreme pontiff three times. If he does not receive a response, he then declares the death of the pope.

Traditionally, the cardinal, who presides over the Apostolic Chamber, would also gently strike the head of the religious leader with a silver hammer. But, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica, this ritual is no longer performed.

Subsequently, the cardinal camarlengo must remove the “Fisherman’s Ring” from the pontiff in order to break it. This action symbolizes the end of his authority.

The same cardinal will also communicate the death to the cardinal vicar for the Urbe, who will notify the Roman people of the death.

In the past, the cardinal would note the death of the pope in the room. However, the second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, approved on April 29, 2024 by the current Pope Francis, dictates that it will now be in the chapel.

According to the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, while the Apostolic See is vacant, “the government of the Church is entrusted to the College of Cardinals only for the dispatch of ordinary or unpostponable matters and for the preparation of all that is necessary for the election of the new Pontiff”.

That is to say, from the cessation of the pope’s reign until the beginning of the conclave, normally between 15 and 20 days later, the cardinals will meet to deal with daily business.

Cardinal Carmalengo will also be in charge of establishing everything concerning the pope’s burial. The pontiff is to be buried within four to six days of his death.

The Vatican constitution states that “should the Roman Pontiff die outside of Rome, it is incumbent upon the Colegio de los Cardenales to arrange everything necessary for a dignified and decorous transfer of the body to St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican”.

As part of the new reforms to simplify the act of protocol, Francis also established that the immediate deposition inside the coffin will be carried out.

Francis also ruled, according to The Associated Press, to eliminate the requirement that the pope be placed on a raised catafalque in St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.

Instead, the pope will be on view in a simple coffin. Likewise, the burial will not require the traditional three coffins of cypress, lead and oak.

After that, the cardinals will celebrate the funeral for nine consecutive days. Shortly thereafter, they will convene for the conclave.

Not all cardinals can participate in the conclave, as those who have reached the age of 80 before the day of the pope’s death or the day on which the Apostolic See became vacant will not be able to elect the next pontiff.

The maximum number of cardinal electors must not exceed 120, according to the Vatican constitution.

During the conclave, strict security measures are taken to ensure the confidentiality of the proceedings. For that reason, the area is completely sealed for the duration of the meeting.

According to the Brittanica encyclopedia, “only cardinals and their secretaries, masters of ceremonies, some other ecclesiastics with specific functions related to the election, doctors and service personnel may enter.” While the cardinals are meeting, they also may not access the media or use cell phones.

Once the papal conclave is convened, the College of Cardinals will vote in secret until a new candidate is elected. The Vatican constitution states that a vote is held on the first day. Then, four ballots are held each following day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

After the count, the ballots and related documentation are burned in a fireplace in the Sistine Chapel.

If no candidate has received a majority, the smoke will be black. Voting will continue until a two-thirds majority is reached when the moment awaited by the crowd will finally arrive: the appearance of white smoke, accompanied by the ringing of bells.

After this signal, the balcony doors of St. Peter’s Basilica will open. The senior deacon who participated in the conclave will pronounce before the crowd “Habemus papam!”. Shortly thereafter, the Supreme Pontiff will present himself to the public and receive his first blessing, marking the beginning of a new papacy.

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Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis

Protocol of the papal conclave

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.