How is a new pope choosing and what is a conclave?

Pope Francis died at the age of 88, after 12 years at the helm of the Roman Catholic Church. His death has prompted him for centuries the old process of choosing a new pope.

The Pope is a head of the Catholic Church. Roman Catholics believe that he is a direct relationship with Jesus Christ. He is considered a living heir to St. Peter, who was the first among Christ’s disciples, the apostles. Because of this, it has full and unlimited power over the entire Catholic Church and is an important source of authority for approximately 1.4 billion Catholics in the world.

Although many Catholics often reach for the Bible for Spiritual Leadership, they can also rely on the teachings of the Pope, which shape the beliefs and practices in the Church. About half of all Christians in the world are Roman Catholics. Other Christian denominations, including Protestants and Orthodox Christians, do not recognize the Pope’s authority.

The Pope lives in the Vatican, the smallest independent state in the world, surrounded by Italy’s capital, Rome. The Pope does not receive a salary, but all travel and living expenses are covered by the Vatican budget.

What happens when the Pope dies? Pope Francis has changed it too

The Pope’s funeral was traditionally a lavish ceremony, but Pope Francisco recently approved plans to simplify the whole process. The previous popes were buried in three coffins, made of cypress, lead and oak. Pope Francis has opted for a simple zinc -covered wooden casket.

He also abolished the tradition of exposing the pope’s body to a raised platform, known as Catafalk, in St. Peter’s Basilica. Instead, mourners will be able to pay tribute while the body stays in the casket with a lid removed.

Francisco will also be the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican. He will be buried in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, one of the four great papal basilicas in Rome. Basilica is a church to which the Vatican has given special importance and privileges. Great papal basils have a special connection to the Pope.

Who chooses the new pope?

Two to three weeks after the Pope’s funeral, the College of Cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel to maintain a conclave, a secret process in which a new pope is elected. They are all male, designated directly by the Pope and are usually ordained bishops. Currently, the Catholic Church has 252 cardinals, 138 of which have the right to vote when choosing a new pope. Others are older than 80 years and therefore cannot participate in voting, but can participate in discussions on who should be elected.

The conclave of which Pope Francis was elected in 2013 lasted about 24 hours and included five rounds of voting, but could last longer.

Once the ballots are counted, they are burned in the stove inside the Sistine Chapel, set by the Vatican firefighters. The second oven burns the chemical, sending a smoke signal through the chimney to the outside world. Black smoke means that the new pope is not chosen, white smoke means it is chosen.

How is the new pope announcing?

After choosing a new pope, a representative of the Cardinal College reads the Latin proclamation Habemus Papam, which means « we have a pope », from the main balcony of St. Peter’s basilica, overlooking thousands of believers. Then, the newly elected pope, after choosing a papal name (probably in honor of a saint or a predecessor) and wearing white clothes, he goes out on the balcony to hold his first public address. And so the Catholic world has a new leader.

In addition to setting up church teachings and morality, the Pope has significant diplomatic and political power in world politics, acting as a mediator in global conflicts and leading humanitarian efforts.

Who can become a pope?

Theoretically, any baptized Roman Catholic man can be chosen as a pope. In practice, however, cardinals almost always choose one of their own.

When Pope Francis, born in Argentina, was elected to the previous conclava in 2013, he became the first head of the South American Catholic Church, a region that forms approximately 28 percent of Catholics in the world. However, history shows that cardinals are more likely to choose Pope from Europe, especially from Italy. Out of 266 pops selected so far, even 217 are from Italy.