Papal conclave facts for kids
A Papal conclave is a meeting of cardinals. The cardinals meet to elect the next bishop of Rome, to become pope. This becomes necessary when the old pope dies or resigns. Usually, popes do not resign, though. The last pope to resign was Pope Benedict XVI. On 11 February 2013, the Vatican confirmed Pope Benedict would resign the papacy and on 13 March it announced the new and current pope as Pope Francis.
The word conclave is from Latin. It refers to the fact that the cardinals are locked up together, until they have agreed on a new pope. Today, this happens in the Sistine Chapel.
Originally, the conclave was started in Italian city states, in the 12th century. These cities needed to elect officeholders, and the election needed to be free of party politics. Events such as the Investiture Controversy in medieval Europe led to people wanting "free" elections, with a medieval understanding of free. Methods were often combined, the elements used were Acclamation, naming of candidates by predecessors, or by univolved people, and using "electrors" who would agree on the successor, behind closed doors. Earliest examples are that of Genua, in 1157, Pisa, in 1162-64, or Pistoia.
Pope Nicholas II published a papal bull called In Nomine Domini, in 1059, which introduced the conclave as the way to elect his successor.
Images for kids
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The 1492 conclave was the first to be held in the Sistine Chapel, the site of all conclaves since 1878.
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Since the conclave of 2005, the cardinals electors reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae for the length of the conclave
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Cardinals formerly used these intricate ballot papers, one of which is shown folded above. Currently, the ballots are simple cards, folded once (like a note card), with the words "I elect as Supreme Pontiff" printed in Latin on them.
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Today, cardinal electors receive copies of multiple ballot cards, scrutiny ballots, and a copy of Ordo Rituum Conclavis (Order of Conclave Rites). Shown above are the ballot papers of Cardinal Roger Mahony used in the 2013 conclave.
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Fumata bianca in Sistine Chapel, indicating that a pope has been elected by the College of Cardinals.
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At the end of the conclave of 2013, the newly elected Pope Francis appears for the first time to the crowd in St. Peter's Square
See also
In Spanish: Cónclave para niños
