The Conclave: How the Pope is Elected

Robert Francis Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV

A time of change within the Catholic Church is upon us, so it will be important to see how the Church will act under its new head.

On April 21st, 2025, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, tragically passed away from a stroke/interaction with J.D. Vance. As the pope is the head of the Catholic church and, as such, is a very vital and important possession of power, a successor has swiftly been chosen. However, you might be unaware, as was I, as to how a successor is chosen. The answer is through the Conclave, in which every Cardinal in the Catholic church will convene to appoint a successor. As this is an incredibly important event, I shall inform you of how Pope Francis’s shoes will be filled, as well as a bit on who will fill those shoes.

What is the Conclave?

The College of Cardinals convening in the Sistine Chapel

The Conclave occurs in The Vatican City, the seat of the Catholic Church. In a Conclave, the College Of Cardinals convenes in the Sistine Chapel, the Chapel within the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope. The College of Cardinals, or every cardinal within the Catholic Church, will convene to elect one of them as a Pope. During the Conclave, every day, each Cardinal will cast an anonymous vote, with all the ballots being burnt at the end of the vote. If a ⅔ majority is reached, the smoke will be white, signifying to the outside world that a new pope has been chosen. The pope will then choose a new name to be referred to as before donning his vestments and perform his first public blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. However, if a majority has not been reached, chemicals will be added to the fire to produce black smoke.

As this is an extremely important election, several measures have been taken to protect the Conclave against outside influences and interference. The Conclave is to be Con Clavis, a latin term from which the Conclave derives in name meaning “with a key,” as the Cardinals are to be locked inside until a decision has been reached. In recent years, several amendments to the process have been made by the Pope, one of the most major of which being the publishing of the Ingravescentem aetatem by Pope Paul VI in 1970 which limited the age of the electors to all Cardinals under 80. While controversial, the rule was instituted to maintain the integrity of the Conclave. In 1996, Pope John Paul II updated the Constitution of the Catholic Church with the Universi Dominici gregis, which changed the Conclave by increasing secrecy, eliminating two outdated and controversial methods of voting in favor of Blind Ballots, as well as establishing the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a permanent location to house the members of the Conclave, as previously improvised and notoriously uncomfortable temporary accommodations were used.

The New Pope

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost

In a recent development, on Thursday, May 8, the Conclave concluded, with Robert Francis Prevost chosen as the next Pope, becoming Pope Leo XIV as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo makes history as the first American Pope, having been born in Chicago. He would later work in Peru, where he was known for his care of the poor and marginalized.

While time will tell, overall he seems similar to Pope Francis in several views. He has shown support for migrants, seemingly butting heads with Trump in a twitter post with an account under his name. He has also shown significant support for helping the poor and supported Women in the Catholic Church as well. It is unknown where he stands on LGBTQ issues, as while he condemned them in an address in 2012, several years have passed and his beliefs may have changed. It is unknown whether he will be a more conservative Pope in contrast to Pope Francis, so time will tell.

With the Pope having been elected and the news buzz surrounding the process, I felt it was important to understand the Conclave. From it’s history to who it has elected, a time of change within the Catholic Church is upon us, so it will be important to see how the Church will act under its new head.