How Does the Catholic Church Choose a New Pope?

When a Pope dies or steps down, a centuries-old process kicks in to determine who will take the mantle as the next leader of over a billion Catholics worldwide.

From sacred oaths to secret ballots and smoke signals, the election of a new pope is both spiritual and steeped in tradition. But how exactly does it work?

The role of the cardinalsAt the heart of the process is a group known as the College of Cardinals. These are senior church officials mostly bishops appointed by the pope. While they come from various parts of the world, they all wear red robes and carry one major responsibility when a papal seat becomes vacant: choosing the next pope.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, and while in theory, any baptized Catholic male could be elected pope, in practice, every pope since 1379 has been picked from among the cardinals themselves.

When the papal seat becomes vacantA papal election is triggered by either the death of a pope or his resignation, which is rare but possible as seen in 2013 when Pope Benedict XVI stepped down. Once the seat is vacant, eligible cardinals make their way to Rome.

While waiting for the election, the Church is temporarily governed by a key figure called the Camerlengo, or Chamberlain, who handles administrative duties but cannot make major decisions.

The Conclave eventThe actual election takes place in an event called the Conclave. This is Latin for “with a key,” referring to the locked-door nature of the process. All cardinal electors are sealed inside the Sistine Chapel, away from the outside world. No phones, no internet, no newspapers just prayer, discussion, and decision-making.

Security is intense. Before the voting begins, the chapel is checked thoroughly to make sure there are no hidden microphones or recording devices. Everyone involved, from medical staff to cleaners, takes an oath of secrecy.

Ritual of votingThe voting itself is done using paper ballots. On the first day, the cardinals usually hold one round of voting. After that, they vote four times daily two in the morning, two in the afternoon.

Each cardinal writes the name of their chosen candidate on a folded ballot marked with the Latin phrase “I elect as Supreme Pontiff.” The ballots are then counted, threaded together with a needle, and burned.

The smoke rising from the chapel’s chimney tells the world what’s going on inside. Black smoke means no decision has been reached. White smoke means a new pope has been chosen.

The Two-Thirds RuleTo be elected, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority vote. This rule was briefly changed to a simple majority in 1996 but was later restored by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

There’s no campaigning involved, no public pitches or lobbying. Discussions are discreet and done entirely within the group. Some elections in the past took weeks—even months. These days, the process tends to move faster.

“We Have a Pope!”Once someone secures the required votes, he’s asked a simple but weighty question: “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” If he agrees, he’s also asked to choose a papal name.

Then comes the transformation. The new pope is dressed in white papal robes—tailors prepare multiple sizes in advance and greeted by the other cardinals in a gesture of loyalty and respect.

Finally, he appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the announcement is made: “Habemus Papam”—“We have a Pope!”

The new pontiff gives his first blessing to the crowds gathered below and to the world watching on screens everywhere.