The death of Pope Francis this morning marks the beginning of a sacred and centuries-old process to select a new leader for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
🔍 What We Know: The College of Cardinals will now gather at the Vatican to elect a successor through a secretive process called a conclave. Cardinals under 80 years old will cast ballots in the Sistine Chapel until they reach a two-thirds majority on a candidate.
The cardinals will be completely sequestered from the outside world during this process, with no phones, internet access, or communication with anyone beyond the conclave walls.
🕯️ The Process: After a period of mourning for Pope Francis, cardinals from around the world will travel to Rome. They’ll participate in daily meetings called “general congregations” before the conclave officially begins.
Once inside the Sistine Chapel, cardinals take an oath of secrecy. They vote up to four times daily until someone receives at least two-thirds of the votes.
After each round of voting, ballots are burned in a special stove. The world watches the chimney above the Sistine Chapel for the signal: black smoke means no pope has been chosen, while white smoke announces a new pontiff has been elected.
🌫️ The Famous Smoke Signal: The Vatican uses a chemical mixture to create the distinctive colored smoke. Black smoke (no decision) comes from burning the ballots with wet straw or chemicals. White smoke (new pope chosen) comes from burning the ballots with dry straw or special additives.
When white smoke appears, bells of St. Peter’s Basilica will ring. Within an hour, a cardinal will appear on the central balcony and announce “Habemus Papam” (“We have a Pope”), followed by the new pope’s first appearance.
🤔 What We Don’t Know: The length of the conclave remains uncertain. Recent conclaves have been relatively short – Pope Francis was elected in just two days in 2013 – but historically, some have lasted months or even years.
We also don’t know which cardinal might emerge as the next pope or what name he will choose upon election.
📊 By The Numbers:
- 132 cardinal electors are currently eligible to vote
- A two-thirds majority (88 votes) is needed to elect a pope
- The conclave has elected 266 popes throughout history
- The last conclave in 2013 lasted just 2 days and 5 ballots
🌎 Why It Matters: The pope serves as both spiritual leader of the Catholic Church and head of state for Vatican City. The new pontiff will shape church positions on global issues from climate change to social justice while guiding the faith of more than a billion people worldwide.
⏭️ What’s Next: In the coming days, the Vatican will announce funeral arrangements for Pope Francis and set a date for the conclave to begin. Cardinals will then enter the Sistine Chapel, and the world will watch for the white smoke that signals a new chapter in Catholic history.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
