Pope Francis died at the age of 88, after 12 years at the head of the Roman Catholic Church. His death started the centuries-old process of electing a new Pope.
The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church. Roman Catholics believe that he represents a direct link to Jesus Christ. He is considered the living successor of Saint Peter, who was the first among Christ’s disciples, the apostles. Because of this, he has complete and unlimited authority over the entire Catholic Church and is an important source of authority for the approximately 1.4 billion Catholics in the world.
Although many Catholics often turn to the Bible for spiritual guidance, they can also rely on the Pope’s teachings, which shape beliefs and practices within the Church. About half of all Christians in the world are Roman Catholic. Other Christian denominations, including Protestants and Orthodox, do not recognize the Pope’s authority.
The Pope lives in the Vatican, the smallest independent state in the world, which is surrounded by the Italian capital Rome. The Pope does not receive a salary, but all his travel and living expenses are covered by the Vatican budget.
– What happens when the Pope dies? Pope Francis changed that too–
The funeral of a Pope has traditionally been a lavish ceremony, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to streamline the entire process. Previous popes were buried in three coffins, made of cypress, lead and oak. Pope Francis opted for a simple wooden coffin covered with zinc.
He also abolished the tradition of displaying the Pope’s body on a raised platform, known as a catafalque, in St. Peter’s Basilica. Instead, mourners will be able to pay their respects while the body remains in the coffin with the lid removed.
Francis will also be the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican. He will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four main papal basilicas in Rome. A basilica is a church that has been given special meaning and privileges by the Vatican. The main papal basilicas have a special connection with the Pope.
-Who elects the new Pope?-
The new Pope is chosen by the highest circle of officials of the Catholic Church, known as the College of Cardinals. All are men, appointed directly by the Pope, and are usually ordained bishops. Currently, the Catholic Church has 252 cardinals, of which 138 have the right to vote in the election of the new Pope. The rest are over 80 years old, so they can’t vote, but they can participate in discussions about who should be elected.
How is the Pope elected and what is a conclave? When the Pope dies (or resigns, as Benedict XVI did in 2013), the cardinals gather in a meeting at the Vatican, followed by a conclave, as the election itself is called. During the period between the Pope’s death and the election of his successor, the Church is governed by the College of Cardinals. The selection takes place in total secrecy inside the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo.
Individual cardinals vote for their candidate until one gets the necessary majority, which can take several days. In past centuries, voting could last for weeks or even months, and some cardinals died during the conclave. The only sign of the progress of the election comes in the form of smoke coming out of the chimney twice a day after burning the ballots. Black smoke means the selection failed. White smoke signifies that a new Pope has been elected.
–How is it announced who the new Pope is?-
After the white smoke appears, the new Pope usually steps out onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square within an hour. The most senior cardinal participating in the conclave then announces the decision with the words Habemus Papam, which in Latin means we have the Pope.
Then he announces the name of the new Pope, that is, the name he has chosen for his pontificate, which may not be his original name. For example, Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but took a new name for his papacy in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.
–Who can become Pope?-
Theoretically, any Roman Catholic male who is baptized can be elected Pope. In practice, however, the cardinals almost always choose one of their own.
When Argentina-born Pope Francis was elected at the previous conclave in 2013, he became the first head of the Catholic Church from South America, a region that accounts for roughly 28% of the world’s Catholics. But history shows that cardinals choose a Pope from Europe, especially from Italy, much more often. Out of a total of 266 popes elected to date, as many as 217 came from Italy.
