Pope Francis the XVI passed away on Apr. 21 due to a stroke. This is a great time of grief not just for the Vatican but also for the world. However, we do get to see the rare process of picking a new pope known as the Conclave.
The Conclave is over 750 years old. All the Cardinals are locked in the Vatican until they come to a decision; they are not allowed to leave except for certain circumstances such as a death in their family. The discussion is very political because becoming the pope is a lifelong role that takes up the rest of their lives.
The Cardinals are the pope’s advisors and provide assistance with anything the church needs such as doing charity work and going to different places around the world to establish churches. The pope must have a two-thirds majority vote. The voting begins after a 15-day grief period for the late Pope Francis.
“We have entered the sede vacante (vacant seat),” Vatican officials said following the pope’s death.
The next pope doesn’t have to be a Cardinal, just a Catholic male, although it is more than likely that the next pope will be a Cardinal. There is also no minimum age requirement as the youngest pope was 18 (pope Benedict the IX) when selected in 1012. There is however a maximum age of 80 years old to vote for a new pope, and only 135 out of the 252 Cardinals qualify. There is also no time limit for how long the process could take. The world will only know that they have decided once white smoke comes from the Vatican.
Cardinals are known as the “princes of the church,” according to an article where the Vatican was interviewed by The New York Times.
The top three Cardinals who are most likely to become the next pope are Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary, Luis Antonio Tagle, and Robert Sarah. They are the most likely because they are favored by the majority of the Cardinals due to their policies and views of the world.
Luis Antonio Tagle was a moderate stance on the teachings of the Catholic church which means he agrees with the majority of their teaching but not all. Pietro Parolin also has moderate views on the teachings. Robert Sarah is a very devout Catholic and believes heavily in sexual morality and the value of life.
