With the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the early morning of Monday, the question is raised: Who will replace it and how will it be decided?
Now a papal conclave will be convened, even that it looks like the popularized in the Oscar -nominated film last year, starring Ralph Fiennes, is more namely than the process.
The meeting to select a successor of Pope Francis brings together an assembly of cardinals to choose a new spiritual leader based on the strict isolation system to what they submit to the electoral process.
Surrounded by the world -fame paintings of Michelangelo, the 137 cardinal voters will attend a meeting of the Faculty of Cardinals of Centenarians in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican.
The term conclave comes from the Latin phrase Cum keyWhich means “with a key.” The papal succession has evolved considerably since the primitive Church and the current rules of this procedure were not coded until the early twentieth century.
Archive/ Meditation Before the choice of the new Pope: the cardinals attended before going to the conclave the traditional mass of the Holy Spirit on Friday in St. Peters. “The elected in the conclave is chosen by the Holy Spirit” in Rome, Italy, in 1978. (Lochon/Gamma-Arpho through Getty)
Only cardinals under 80 can cast a vote. Candidates only need to be masculine baptized Catholics and will be nominated around the world.
Traditionally, a 15 -day mourning period is observed before the conclave begins, says the BBC.
He Independent Establish more details about eligibility:
There is no age limit on whom he can become Pope, but Francis was 76 when he assumed the position. Benedict before he was 78 years old, and Pope only for only eight years before his 85 -year -old surprise retirement.
To begin the process, there is a special morning mass, after which the 120 cardinals of the voter era gather within the Sistine chapel decorated by the exquisity, home of all the papal convecavas since 1858.
Later in the day, the shout “Omnes Extra” sounds (all outside) and the cardinals, who swore an oath of secret, will be locked inside the conclave until they can choose a successor.
With that, the rounds of the beginning of voting but not before more speeches, prayer, reflection and intense political push, with the cardinals reducing candidates through successive voting rounds.
Communication with the outside world is not allowed.
He Independent It makes clear: “A Pope is only chosen when a single candidate receives a two -thirds majority. Sometimes the Pope is quickly chosen when a strong candidate emerges. Previous round.”
The vote itself is secret and Gregory XV introduced it in 1621 to try to avoid manifest policy.
The ballots are burned progressively in a small fire inside the Sistine Chapel as the contestants’ field is reduced.
The black smoke released by the fire and ventilated by the roof tells the crowds that they hope that a new pontiff has not yet been chosen.
Archive/preparation of the conclave after the death of John XXIII and especially the famous stove in which the ballots are burned and whose smokes announce the elections or not of a new Pope, Italy, on June 11, 1963.
That changes when the white smoke appears, the world tells that a single candidate has manned, after an additive is introduced into the flames.
It is one last step.
The Pope appears to the crowds that have gathered in the Vatican from the main balcony of the Basilica of San Pedro with the famous words: “Annuntio Vobis Gaudium Magnum: Habemus Papam!” (I announce with great joy that we have a Pope).
With that, the 1,200 million Catholics in the world will have a new leader.