Papal election

A papal election is the method by which the Roman Catholic Church fills the office of Bishop of Rome, whose incumbent is known as the Pope, the head of the Church. An occasion steeped in centuries-old tradition, this meeting of clergymen held to select the Pope is referred to as a conclave. The term comes from the Latin phrase cum clave ("with a key"), referring to the "locking away" of the electors during the process. Conclaves have been employed since the Second Council of Lyons decreed in 1274 that the electors should meet in seclusion. They are now held in the Sistine Chapel in the Palace of the Vatican.

Notes

:1. Sedevacantists hold that the office of Pope was vacated either by the election of Pope John XXIII (whom they deem a heretic), or by the enactment of major reforms by the Second Vatican Council (support for which they deem heretical). Some factions of sedevacantism have held their own papal elections (such as the supporters of Lucian Pulvermacher), whilst others consider the papacy vacant, often since some date of a purported legitimate Pope's death, usually Giuseppe Cardinal Siri, whom some sedevacantists claim ruled in exile from 1958 to 1989 as Pope Gregory XVII. Siri never claimed to be Pope, served Popes John XXIII, Paul VI and both Popes John Paul, and died in full communion with Rome.

Related Topics:
Sedevacantists - Pope John XXIII - Second Vatican Council - Lucian Pulvermacher - Giuseppe Cardinal Siri - Paul VI - Popes John Paul

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:2. Each ballot paper was divided into three parts; in the first was written the cardinal's name, in the second the name of the individual voted for, and in the third a motto and number of the cardinal's choice (which were to be used to verify that each cardinal wrote only his own name on the ballot). The first and third divisions were folded down and sealed, with the middle exposed; the back was heavily decorated so that the writing would not be visible (see illustration on right). Thus, when the Scrutineers (the vote counters) removed a ballot paper from the ballot box, they could see only the name of the candidate voted for. If the winning candidate received exactly two-thirds of the votes, the ballot papers were unsealed to ensure that the winning cardinal did not vote for himself. Modern ballots differ from the complicated older ballots in that the cardinals do not write anything other than the name of the individual voted for on them; furthermore, they are only folded once and need not be specially sealed.

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:3. Formerly, cardinals regularly had meals sent in from their homes. Much pageantry accompanied the conveyance of food, which was taken from a cardinal's home to the Vatican in a state coach. An officer known as the Seneschal Dapifer was responsible for ensuring that the food was not poisoned. The dishes, in small boxes covered with green and violet drapery, were carried through the hall, preceded by an individual carrying the cardinal's ceremonial mace and by the Seneschal Dapifer bearing a serviette on the shoulder. Before the cardinals could receive them, the dishes were carefully inspected to make sure that no correspondence was enclosed in it. These ceremonies have not been observed since the nineteenth century.

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:4. A WAV file of Albino Cardinal Luciani's announcement as Pope John Paul I is available here.

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