White Smoke Rising: Choosing a New Pope

Paul Jones, CTV News

he process of selecting a new pope has remained essentially the same for more than 700 years. The church's cardinals make the decision as they are locked behind the closed doors of the Vatican in a conclave, a word with Latin roots meaning "lockable room."

The process of selecting a new leader of the world's Roman Catholics begins officially 10 days after the pope's death.

All cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to take part in the vote. They'll gather in the Vatican to take part in the conclave.

Cardinals took over the task of selecting the next pope in 1179. Before that, Roman Catholic clergy around Rome chose a new Pope. Political rulers in Rome and around Christendom often influenced them.

Pope Gregory X started the conclave in 1274 to speed up the process of selection. It took almost three years for Gregory X himself to be elected. The conclave also kept the cardinals away from outside influences on their decision.

Gregory set some strict rules to ensure the cardinals were focused on the task at hand. The electors were to be locked in one room with no contact with the outside world. The longer they went without electing a new pontiff, the tougher the conditions became. By the fifth day food was down to bread, wine and water.

Over the centuries popes have adjusted the rules for the conclave. The conditions within the conclave are no longer so spartan, but the effect is the same. The cardinals are locked away from the rest of the world until they can decide who should take over the Holy See.

The conclaves are usually held inside the Sistine Chapel, within the Apostolic Palace. This time, thanks to Pope John Paul, the accommodations will be a little more luxe. The cardinals will stay in Domus Sanctae Marthae (St. Martha's House), a modern residence beside the Apostolic Palace. The new accommodations mean the cardinals will be seen every day as they walk from St. Martha's to the palace, though they will still be out of contact with the outside world.

In 1975, Pope Paul VI limited the number of cardinal electors to 120. Pope John Paul II had named more than 95 percent of the 109 cardinal-electors -- those who as of mid-July were under 80 and thus still eligible to vote in a papal conclave.

Officially the cardinals can select any practicing Catholic male to be pope, but realistically they will select one of their number for the position.

The Cardinal Camerlengo, who presides over the pope's household in life, oversees the conclave. Three cardinals, who have been elected by the body of cardinals, assist him. The college elects three new assistants every three days of the conclave.

The cardinals used to have three options for selecting a new pontiff. The cardinals could vote by secret ballot, select a committee of their number to pick a new pope and they could also select a new pope "quasi inspirationi" -- in which the cardinals were all inspired spontaneously to select one candidate.

Pope John Paul ruled out the last two options, leaving the cardinals to select the new pope by secret ballot only.

On the first day of the conclave the cardinals gather. After the preliminaries, they have time for just one vote in the afternoon. In subsequent days, the cardinals hold two votes every morning and two in the afternoon. If no pope has been selected after three days of voting, the cardinals take a day off for prayer and reflection. From then on, the cardinals pause after every seven votes.

Following every vote, the ballots and associated papers are burned, in line with the secrecy inherent to the process. When the election fails to determine a pope, straw is added to the fire to produce black smoke. This signals to the outside world that there is still no decision. When the cardinals finally agree, the ballots are burned by themselves, producing clean white smoke, and the clear message that a new pope has been selected.

In the past, the winning candidate needed to receive at least two-thirds of the votes. John Paul, however, updated this procedure. This time, if the cardinals have not come to a decision after 30 votes, the procedure moves to a simple majority.

Once a pope is selected, he is asked if he'll accept the job, and by what name he will be known. The oldest cardinal then introduces the new pope to the crowds in St. Peter's Square.

Popes used to be installed with a regal coronation, but that was abolished by Pope John Paul I as being too monarchic.