Vatican City: The conclave of cardinals to elect a new pope begins with the arrival of the cardinal electors in Rome, followed by a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. This sacred assembly officially commences with the proclamation of “extra omnes” (everyone out, in Latin), marking the start of the voting process.
According to Ansa News Agency, the conclave, derived from the Latin ‘cum clave’ meaning ‘with a key’, is a time-honored ritual that heralds the selection of a new pope. The process unfolds under the watchful eyes of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, culminating in the iconic white smoke signaling the announcement of ‘habemus papam’ (we have a pope). Although fictional works, such as Robert Harris’s novel and film “Conclave,” have speculated about behind-the-scenes machinations, these remain strictly in the realm of fiction.
Before the conclave’s official start, cardinal electors gather in Rome and reside at Casa Santa Marta, the same building where the late Pope Francis chose to live. On the day of the assembly, they attend a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re. Following the mass, the cardinals don their choir attire and proceed to the Sistine Chapel, which is specially arranged for the elections with benches and a stove for burning notes and voting cards.
The conclave allows a maximum of 120 cardinal electors, though currently, there are 135 eligible to vote, leaving room for possible exceptions as in past instances. During the conclave, all communication devices are prohibited, and contact with the outside world is severed. The conclave officially begins with the “extra omnes” command, after which the Sistine Chapel doors are locked, initiating the voting process.
If the voting starts in the afternoon of the first day, only one ballot is held. Subsequently, there are four ballots per day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Each cardinal elector writes the name of their chosen candidate on a ballot under the phrase ‘Eligo in Summum Pontificem’, then places it on a silver plate before sliding it into an urn.
Once voting concludes, two scrutineers silently read the ballots while a third announces the names. The ballots are then bound and incinerated in the stove. In the absence of a successful election, a mixture is added to produce black smoke. Upon a successful election, the chosen candidate is asked for acceptance and their papal name, followed by the burning of ballots with a white dye to announce the new pope’s election.
The newly elected pope then dons his vestments in the ‘room of tears’ within the Sistine Chapel’s sacristy. The cardinal protodeacon subsequently announces the election from St. Peter’s Basilica’s central loggia, where the new pope will appear to deliver the Urbi et Orbi blessing.
