Papal Election

religion

The process of electing a new pope begins when the see becomes vacant, most commonly due to the death or resignation of the reigning pope. A formal period of mourning and organi...

faith_and_religion

The question arises whenever a papal conclave begins: was the new pope a woman? Short answer: no. The Catholic Church reserves the papacy to baptized male adults. This article e...

religion & belief

White smoke habemus papam is the visible and verbal signal that a new pope has been elected. When the Sistine Chapel produces thick white smoke from burning materials after a su...

church-structure

The pope is elected by the College of Cardinals in a papal conclave, a process governed by established canon law and centuries of tradition. When the see becomes vacant, eligibl...

communication-protocols

Conclave orange smoke refers to the distinctive colored smoke produced during papal conclaves to signal the outcome of a ballot. When cardinals gather to elect a new pope, chemi...

Catholic Church

Only bishops can be pope, and any baptized Catholic male can theoretically be elected pope, yet in practice every pope since 1917 has been a cardinal who meets specific criteria...

religion

The phrase ‘is the new pope black’ refers to two intertwined ideas: the process by which a new pope is elected and the visible identity of the man chosen, including his raci...

Catholic Church

A new pope is elected by the College of Cardinals during a papal conclave, a process governed by established canon law and centuries of tradition. When the see of Rome becomes v...

Celebrity Profiles

When Pope Francis dies or resigns, the next pope will be elected by the College of Cardinals in a conclave, following a sequence defined by modern canon law and centuries of tra...

Celebrity Profiles

The 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis lasted approximately four days, from 12 to 13 March 2013. It convened on 12 March and concluded early on 13 March with the elec...