May 11, 2025 - "Selection of a New Pope"

On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, after a Public Mass will have been celebrated, the Cardinals eligible to elect the Pope will process to the Sistine Chapel for the conclave.  After they have entered the Sistine Chapel, the Cardinals will take an oath to be faithful to the rules of voting.  On the first day, one ballot will be cast.  If no candidate receives two-thirds of the vote, the process is repeated with two votes each morning and two each afternoon until a candidate receives a two-third majority. The rectangular ballot paper has the words “I Elect as Supreme Pontiff” in Latin on the upper half of the ballot with space below to write the name of the candidate of his choice.  Once the elector has written the name of the candidate of his choice, He folds it twice and place it in the box in the center of the Sistine Chapel.

 

As I mentioned earlier, the Church uses smoke signals to inform the public after each vote.  After the votes are counted, if there isn’t a two-thirds majority, the votes are burnt with a chemical to make the smoke black.  Black smoke means that no one was elected.  When someone gets two-thirds of the votes, the ballots are burned with a chemical to make the smoke white. White smoke means that a Pope has been elected.  The bells of St. Peter’s are also rung so there is no confusion over the color of the smoke.  When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005, the smoke was gray instead of white. The ringing of the Church bells assured everyone that a Pope had been elected.

 

After the ballots are burned the newly-elected Pope is asked two questions:  “Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff,” and then “By what name do you wish to be called/” After the Pope has accepted the responsibility of the papal office and disclosed his name, the cardinals present in the Sistine Chapel, pledge their obedience to the new Pope and then sing a hymn of thanks to God. The Pope then puts on a white cassock and zuchetto before going to greet the crowd waiting in St. Peter’s Square.

 

All of this may have happened as you reach this column, but then again maybe it hasn’t. Stay tuned!

 

Until next week,

Fr. John