From gathering under Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel to ballots — Inside Vatican’s secret process for choosing a new pope

Pope Francis's death has ushered in a period of mourning within the Vatican and set in motion the ancient process of selecting a new pope. As per the tradition, cardinals will gather under Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling to elect Francis’s successor.

Steeped in centuries-old tradition, the Vatican's process of selecting a new pope is shrouded in secrecy. LiveMint takes you through the whole process.

Selection process for a new pope

When a pope dies, the Dean of the College of Cardinals convenes a meeting of all cardinals under the age of 80—the only ones eligible to vote. These electors are required to travel to the Vatican to participate in the conclave.

A secretive vote to elect the next pope is held within the Sistine Chapel, the home of conclave.

When will the conclave begin?

Conclave is not expected to begin earlier than 15 days, nor later than 20 days, after the pope’s death. It could, however, begin sooner if all the cardinal electors arrive in Rome at the earliest.

Where does the secret voting happen?

Once the cardinals are assembled in Rome, they gather under Michelangelo’s magnificent painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel to begin their deliberations.

The cardinals take a solemn oath of absolute secrecy before the elections begin. Throughout the process, they are completely cut off from the outside world. Their phones are removed, and no newspapers, television, letters or messages are allowed. The chapel is also swept for listening devices before and during the conclave.

How is the next pope elected?

Once the cardinals are gathered, paper ballots are passed out to each of them, who writes the name of their chosen candidate below the words “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (Latin for “I elect as supreme pontiff”).

Once deliberations are complete, each cardinal, following the order of seniority, approaches the altar in the Sistine Chapel, and place the folded ballot in a chalice.

How many votes does a cardinal need to become the new pope?

Votes are taken each day, morning and afternoon, until a candidate wins a two-thirds majority.

If a cardinal has received two-thirds of the vote, he becomes the new pope.

What happens after a pope is chosen?

The chimney atop the Sistine Chapel is the first place where news of a new pope breaks.

Sistine Chapel's black smoke

After each round of voting, the cardinals’ ballots are burned: once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If no decision is reached, a chemical is added to the fire to produce black smoke, signaling that a new pope has not yet been chosen.

Sistine Chapel's white smoke

If white smoke rises, from the Sistine Chapel, it’s the long-awaited sign that ‘sede vacante’—Latin for “the seat being vacant”—has ended, which means a new pope has been elected, stated a CNN report.