Can any priest become pope?

Question

Does it matter wether you become a priest of a religious order? Or a diocesan priest?

Answer 1

Yes, and more.

Any baptized male Catholic can be elected Pope. Although the chances of a non-cardinal being elected is very small.

If the person elected is not yet a bishop, then he is ordained a bishop before accepting the office of the Papacy.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Draagon is right, 'Angels & Demons' goes into all the rules of it, and is a GREAT story! But essentially, the Pope is picked from a pool of Cardinals from all over the world, they have to be multi-lingual and fall within a certain age range. There's a lot of ceremony involved in ellecting a pope, as with most things in the Catholic religion, but it's steeped in history and is pretty interesting to learn about.

Answer 3

Technically I think anyone on earth can be elected Pope. But customarily they have to be a Cardinal. And a man. And a Catholic.

Answer 4

In theory, yes. In practice, only those with the right connections will make it into the College of Cardinals.

Answer 5

You must have been a priest who has attained cardinal status.

Answer 6

you have to be catholic, generally a cardinal rank and voted in by your peers

Answer 7

In principle.

Answer 8

Read Dan Brown's 'Angels and Demons'. It explains it all.

Answer 9

Not if you have any records of sexual abuse of followers.

Answer 10

if they wanted.....