The moment a Pope takes his last breath, or in the rare case of Benedict XVI, hands in his resignation, a very specific type of machinery starts humming inside the Vatican. It’s a mix of ancient mysticism and cold, hard legal procedure. If you’ve ever wondered how do they find a new pope, you have to realize it’s not exactly like a corporate headhunting mission. There are no LinkedIn recruiters or public debates. Instead, you get 120-ish men locked in a room under a Renaissance masterpiece, literally waiting for a sign from God—or at least a two-thirds majority.
It starts with a hammer. Or it used to.
Traditionally, the Camerlengo (the Chamberlain) would gently tap the deceased Pope’s forehead with a silver hammer, calling his baptismal name three times. If there’s no response, the reign is over. While that specific bit of theater has faded into history, the core of the process remains remarkably unchanged since the 13th century. The ring is smashed. The doors are locked. The world waits for the smoke.
The Interregnum: Who Runs the Shop?
When the "See" is vacant—what they call Sede Vacante—the Church doesn't just stop. But it does go into a weird sort of stasis. The Camerlengo takes over the temporal administration. Right now, that’s Cardinal Kevin Farrell. He’s basically the interim manager, but he can't make any permanent changes. He can't appoint new bishops. He can't change Church doctrine. He’s just keeping the lights on.
During this time, Cardinals from all over the world start flying into Rome. They aren't just there for the funeral. They’re there for the "General Congregations." Think of these as the ultimate pre-game meetings. They gather in the Paul VI Audience Hall to discuss the state of the Church. What are the big problems? Do we need a diplomat? A theologian? A pastor? This is where the real "campaigning" happens, though they’d never call it that. It’s more like "discernment."
You see, the Church is a massive, global bureaucracy. You’ve got the Curia (the central government in Rome) often at odds with the bishops out in the field in places like Brazil, Africa, or the Philippines. These meetings are where they hash out the job description for the next guy.
Inside the Sistine Chapel: The Conclave Begins
The word "Conclave" literally means "with a key" (cum clave). This is the part everyone knows from the movies, but the reality is way more claustrophobic. The Cardinals are sequestered in the Casa Santa Marta—a sterile, hotel-like building inside the Vatican—and shuttled to the Sistine Chapel.
📖 Related: Typhoon Tip and the Largest Hurricane on Record: Why Size Actually Matters
They are cut off. Completely.
No phones. No newspapers. No Twitter. No "leaking" to the press. They actually sweep the Sistine Chapel for bugs. They use electronic jammers. If a Cardinal is caught communicating with the outside world, they face automatic excommunication. It’s that serious. They take an oath of secrecy that would make a CIA agent blush.
The Ballot Process
Once they’re inside and the Extra omnes (everyone out!) is shouted, the voting begins. It’s a tedious, manual process. Each Cardinal writes their choice on a rectangular piece of paper, disguisedly, and walks up to the altar. They hold the ballot up, swear an oath that they are voting for the person they believe should be elected under God, and drop it into a chalice.
There are usually four votes a day. Two in the morning. Two in the afternoon.
The math is simple but brutal: you need a two-thirds majority. If they don't get it, the ballots are burned with a chemical additive to make the smoke black. If they do find their man, they burn them alone (or with different chemicals) to make the smoke white.
Why Do They Find a New Pope This Way?
You might think this is all a bit "Dungeons & Dragons," but there’s a reason for the secrecy. In the old days, European kings and emperors used to interfere constantly. They’d try to force their favorite candidate onto the throne of St. Peter. The lock-and-key method was invented to keep the secular world out.
👉 See also: Melissa Calhoun Satellite High Teacher Dismissal: What Really Happened
It also prevents "factions" from forming in the public eye. If the world knew Cardinal X was leading on the third ballot but losing ground on the fifth, the media pressure would be unbearable. By keeping it secret, the Church presents a unified front once the decision is made.
The Moment of Acceptance
Suppose someone gets the 80 votes needed. The Dean of the College of Cardinals walks up to him. He asks the big question: "Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?"
If the guy says yes (and they almost always do, though some have been known to weep in the "Room of Tears" beforehand), he is immediately the Pope. His power doesn't come from the inauguration ceremony later; it comes from that "yes." Then he’s asked what name he wants to be called. This is a bigger deal than it sounds. If he picks "Pius," he’s signaling a more traditional, rigid path. If he picks "Francis," like the current Pope did, he’s signaling a focus on the poor and simplicity.
Common Misconceptions About the Election
Honestly, people get a lot of this wrong.
- You don't have to be a Cardinal. Technically, any baptized Catholic male can be elected Pope. In theory, you could be elected. But practically? The last non-Cardinal to be elected was Urban VI in 1378. It’s not happening.
- There are no "candidates." Nobody runs for Pope. There are no posters. If you look like you want it too much, you’re basically disqualified in the eyes of your peers. There’s an old Roman saying: "He who enters the conclave a Pope, leaves a Cardinal."
- It’s not always about holiness. Sometimes it’s about geography. Sometimes it’s about age. If the last Pope had a long, 25-year reign, the Cardinals might pick an older "transitional" Pope to give the Church a breathing room.
The "Great Pivot" of 2026 and Beyond
As we look at the current landscape of the Vatican, the question of how do they find a new pope is becoming more complex because the College of Cardinals is more international than ever. Pope Francis has gone out of his way to appoint Cardinals from the "peripheries"—places like Tonga, Myanmar, and Ethiopia.
This means the next Conclave will be harder to predict. The Cardinals don't all know each other well. They don't all speak the same language. This could lead to longer Conclaves or very surprising results. We aren't in the era of "Italian-only" candidates anymore.
✨ Don't miss: Wisconsin Judicial Elections 2025: Why This Race Broke Every Record
How the World Finds Out
We've talked about the smoke, but there's a backup. The bells of St. Peter’s will also ring. This was added because, frankly, sometimes it’s hard to tell if the smoke is grey, off-white, or charcoal.
Then comes the Habemus Papam announcement from the central balcony. "We have a Pope." The senior Cardinal Deacon announces the name in Latin, the new Pope steps out, gives his first blessing, and the whole cycle starts over again. It’s the longest-running continuous election process in human history.
What to Watch For Next Time
If you’re tracking the next Conclave, don't just look at the big names like Cardinal Parolin or Cardinal Tagle. Look at the "Papabili"—the ones people think are "popable."
- Check the age. Cardinals over 85 are rarely picked because the job is physically punishing.
- Look at the linguistic skills. A Pope who can't speak Italian and English is at a massive disadvantage.
- Watch the "Vaticanists." These are the journalists like John Allen Jr. or Gerard O'Connell who spend their lives reading the tea leaves in Rome. They usually have a better pulse on the internal politics than anyone else.
The process is designed to be slow. It’s designed to be frustrating. But in a world that moves at the speed of a TikTok scroll, there’s something kind of fascinating about a billion people waiting for a fire in a chimney to tell them who’s in charge.
To understand the full gravity of the transition, it helps to read the Universi Dominici Gregis, the Apostolic Constitution that actually lays out these rules. It was updated by John Paul II and later by Benedict XVI to tweak the voting math. It’s the rulebook for the end of an era.
The next time you see that chimney on the news, remember: it’s not just about a guy in a white hat. It’s about a 2,000-year-old institution trying to figure out how to survive the next century by looking backward and forward at the same time.
Actionable Insights for Following the Next Conclave
- Monitor the "General Congregations": The real indicators of the next Pope's direction happen in the week before the doors are locked. Pay attention to which Cardinals are giving the most influential speeches.
- Verify the Smoke: Use high-definition livestreams. Historically, the "white" smoke can look remarkably dark against a cloudy Roman sky, so wait for the bells of St. Peter’s to confirm the election.
- Track the Appointments: Keep an eye on the "Consistories" where the current Pope creates new Cardinals. Since only those under age 80 can vote, the demographic makeup of the "electors" changes every year.
- Study the "Papabili" Lists: Recognize that the front-runner rarely wins. Research the "dark horse" candidates from the Global South, as they represent the fastest-growing sectors of the Church.