Papal election

• Successors to Peter originally chosen by the Roman church--clergy and laity.
• The right of the laity to refuse the person elected was abolished by a Synod held in the Lateran in 769, but restored to Roman noblemen by Pope Nicholas I during a Synod of Rome in 862.
• 1059: the College of Cardinals was designated the sole body of electors. Cardinals are appointed by the Pope.
• Conclave refers to the fact that the Cardinals are locked into a building with "with a key" (cum clave) until they elect a new Pope. The rule dates from 1274 and was prompted by the Cardinals refusing to agree on a pope between 1268-1271.
• 1621: Gregory XV created the rules that are essentially still in use today.
• 1917: Only those who are already priests or bishops may be appointed as Cardinals.
• 1971: electors limited to 120 (up from 70) cardinals under 80 years of age.
• 1996: John Paul II, apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.
• Two-thirds plus one supermajority required for election.
• Two ballots in the morning, two in the afternoon.
• The ballots are burned after each vote.
• Dark smoke = no one elected.
• White smoke and bells (2005) = "Habemus papam!"
• 1958: abandonment of sealing wax on the ballots made it hard to tell the color of the smoke during the conclave that led to the election of John Paul XXIII.

Links

• Wikipedia, "Papal conclave."
• "Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2013."