How is a Pope Chosen?

Question

How is the descision made for who is to be the next pope...and what is the Process?

Answer 1

A Papal Conclave works like this:

+ A pope dies and is buried

+ The cardinals come to Rome for the conclave that will elect the new pope. The word conclave (Latin, *** + clavis, literally, "locked with the key") designates:
. • The place in a locked section of the Vatican where the cardinals elect a new pope.
. • The actual gathering of the cardinals.

+ The conclave begins 15 to 20 days after the pope's death.

+ The cardinals pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit during a Mass

+ The cardinals, sealed in the Sistine Chapel, vote every morning and afternoon.

+ A two-thirds majority plus one is required for election for the first 30 ballots. After that, a simple majority is required.

+ After each vote, they burn the ballots and add special chemicals to make the smoke white or black.
. • Black smoke means no new pope yet.
. • White smoke announces the election of a new pope.

+ The cardinals may elect any baptized male they wish. There have been occasions in the past where they have elected a layman. After their election, the layman has to be ordained priest and bishop.

+ They ask the one elected if he accepts. The moment he accepts, he is pope.

+ The pope chooses his “Papal” name.

+ Then the new pope is announced to the world.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The process of electing a new pope for the Catholic church has undergone many changes through the centuries. Although some traditions have remained consistent, each new pope may issue guidelines for the selection of the next pope.

As guided by Pope John Paul II, 120 cardinals must participate in the selection. The basic requirements are that no pope over 80 can be elected, and a two-thirds plus one majority must select the new pope. If this majority cannot be reached, voting must occur for several days with two votes taking place in the morning and in the evening. If four days of voting does not result in the 67% majority, then the candidate with the majority of votes becomes the new pope.

There are several processes, which must be completed prior to the election of a new pope. First, when the old pope passes away, his chamberlain, called the camerlengo, pronounces the pope’s death. No autopsy is performed as this is considered desecration. At this point, the camerlengo officially holds the papal office until a new pope is elected.

Nine official days of mourning occur at the death of the old pope. At the conclusion of mourning, the process for voting is organized and convened by the camerlengo. The time period also gives the College of Cardinals time to convene in Rome for the election. However, the election cannot take place until 15 days after the pope’s death, and no more than 20 days afterwards.

During the days of mourning, all cardinals eligible to vote must attend official meetings called General Congregations. They help to order the election, and arrange the funeral for the pope. There are also usually some frontrunners, called preferiti, who are discussed as possible candidates to lead the church.

Although it is technically possible for any Catholic male to be elected a new pope, selection tends to be limited to those priests who are Cardinals. In the past, however, people who were not even priests have been elected, and were instantly given ordination as bishops. This is an unlikely scenario in present day.

Official voting for the new pope is done in a process called conclave, from the Latin *** clavis. This means “with key,” and essentially means that the voting is secret. Cardinals are locked into a room, specifically the Sistine Chapel. Voting is done by secret ballot. Should the electoral process take more than a day, the cardinals have lodging at St. Martha’s house. They are “sequestered” like a jury however, and have no contact with the outside world.

Non-voting cardinals, and attendants on the cardinals may be part of conclave as well. However, they are sworn to secrecy both before and after the new pope is elected. Each vote goes through a complex tallying process. All ballots are burned and if the vote has elected a new pope, this burning causes white smoke to float above the Vatican, signifying the world has a new pope. If the vote is unsuccessful, water or a chemical is added to the burning ballots to cause gray smoke to appear. This signifies a vote without an election.

Many Catholics wait in St. Peter’s Square for signs of the smoke. Many feel it is symbolic of rebirth of the church and an end of grief for the old pope when the white smoke appears. After the election, the new pope will accept the office, and dozens of formal ceremonies then occur, some quite private, and others very public.

Answer 3

OK, there are two answers- the technical "the world is a beautiful place" view and the real-politic answer.

I think you have been given the technical "aren't we civilized people" answer, so lets talk about the real answer.

In the Catholic Church, the Pope is power. Not total real power, for this position rests with the General of the Jesuit Order, but positional power.

Those chosen to such position up until the 19th Centuries were based on powerful, usually Italian families- who shared the papacy amongst themselves, including its fabulous wealth.

In more recent times, it has been voting blocks between the Italians and Germans, vs the Americans vs the African and Sth Americans.

The Italian cardinals have been magnificent in keeping the Sth American and African cardinals from voting as a block. However at the next conclave you might see a Sth American Pope finally emerge for the first time in history.

Answer 4

Look here:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12270a.htm
It is done by voting. The cardinal do it. The whole process is very well know and watched around the world. They all gather in Rome and are locked in a room until they get a unified vote. The pope must be a holy man who can represent Christ to the people. When the decision is made they put a fire in a special fireplace and something to make the color strong and the people outside watch the special chimney to see if there is any sign of an agreement.

Answer 5

All the cardinals of the church group together to choose who amoung them should be the next Pope.

This goes on for some while (sometimes days).

Answer 6

a bunch of cardinals get together and play strip poker...the winner gets a shot at the super bonus grand prize question. If he answers correctly, he and a guest will fly to an exotic land. Once there, he must collect a rare herb. When he brings the herb back to the vatican, they roll it up and he smokes it. Only then, will he be pope.....