Conclave

What it is

A conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals with a single task: to elect the bishop of Rome. Catholics believe the pope is the successor of Saint Peter and leads the Church on earth, so the choice carries weight for believers worldwide. Until a result is reached, the cardinals stay together and cut off from the outside. The name comes from the Latin cum clave, 'with a key', a reminder of the locked doors that gave the gathering its shape.

Origins and history

Early bishops of Rome were chosen by the clergy and the people of the city, often by acclamation, which meant loud agreement rather than a counted vote. Noble families and emperors pressed their interests, and rival claimants sometimes appeared. In 1059 the cardinals were made the only body that could choose a pope. Political meddling and a vacancy lasting from 1268 to 1271 led Pope Gregory X to decree in 1274 that the electors be shut away until they decided. Later councils and popes added rules on majorities.

The voting cardinals

Only cardinals vote. Paul VI fixed an age limit in 1970, keeping cardinals of 80 and above out of the voting, and five years later he set the ceiling of voting cardinals at 120. His successors have briefly passed that figure; the conclave of 2025 had 133 electors, the largest group ever to vote. Sixtus V had earlier fixed the whole College at 70, taking the number of Israel's elders as his model. John XXIII began widening the national spread of the College, and cardinals now come from many countries.

Who can be elected

Belonging to the College is not a requirement for election, though it has been the norm for centuries. Urban VI, chosen in 1378, was the last pope taken from outside the cardinals' ranks. Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, elected as Leo X in 1513, was the last man to become pope without already being a priest or deacon, and Adrian VI in 1522 was the last chosen while absent from Rome. The Church teaches that only Catholics may be elected and that women cannot be ordained, so a woman cannot be pope. An Italian background is not needed.

Rules and changes

Majorities have shifted over time. The Third Council of the Lateran in 1179 asked for unanimity but allowed election by two thirds when agreement failed. Gregory XV's bull of 1621, Aeterni Patris Filius, ruled out self-voting and fixed two thirds as the standard. Pius XII raised the bar, John XXIII lowered it again, and John Paul II's constitution of 1996 permitted a simple majority after a long deadlock. Benedict XVI reversed that in 2007, restoring the two-thirds rule. Current procedures come from John Paul II and were slightly amended in 2007 and 2013.

How Conclave is kept

Cardinals under 80 gather in the Sistine Chapel, in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, once the papacy falls vacant. They vote by secret ballot. A candidate needs two thirds of the votes cast. The electors may not leave, and they stay in seclusion until a pope is chosen. Gregory X once allowed each cardinal only two servants and cut their food after the fourth and ninth days of a long conclave. In earlier centuries a cardinal could shift a vote to another candidate, a practice called accessus, which Pius XII ended in 1945.

When and where

A conclave is not fixed to a date. It is called when the pope dies or resigns, and it lasts as long as it takes to choose a successor. Early conclaves sometimes ran for months or years: the cardinals sat from 1268 to 1271, and other long gaps followed in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

The vote is held in the Sistine Chapel, part of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. Before that it belonged to Rome, and in the Avignon Papacy a conclave was scattered by mercenaries and could not meet again for nearly two years. Cardinals travel to the gathering from dioceses across the world, so the electors are no longer mostly European.

What Conclave means

Catholics regard the pope as the head of the Church on earth and the successor of Saint Peter, so the choice is a matter of faith and not just administration. The locked doors express a wish that the electors decide without pressure from rulers or crowds. Requiring two thirds of the votes means the winner carries wide consent. Secrecy protects the cardinals themselves. In earlier centuries ballots were signed or initialled, which is why later rules worked to keep each vote private.

Questions people ask about Conclave

See also

Holy WeekThe solemn seven days leading to Easter, recalling the final week and Passion of JesusStations of the CrossA Christian prayer journey following fourteen moments of the Passion of JesusCamino de SantiagoA Christian walking pilgrimage across Europe to the shrine of Saint James in SpainSaint Stephen's DayA Christian feast day celebrating the first martyr with feasts, rides and folk customs.

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• BBC NEWS | EuropeBBC, Article
• BBC NEWS | EuropeBBC, Article

• Conclave on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.