No, the Pope hasn't resigned, but how would his successor be chosen?

euronews (in English)

Various videos claim Pope Francis's successor has been appointed, but that's not how a new bishop of Rome is chosen. How does the system actually work?

Transcript

00:00No, the Pope hasn't resigned and appointed a successor.

00:09False videos have been posted to YouTube alleging that Pope Francis is stepping down from his

00:14position as the Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church.

00:17Various videos posted in quick succession, some with tens of thousands of views, claim

00:23that the Pope's successor has also been appointed, Filipino prelate Luis Antonio Tagle.

00:28Of course, none of this is true. The Vatican hasn't announced anything about Pope Francis

00:33resigning and there are no reputable news outlets reporting on it anywhere else.

00:37In his autobiography, Pope Francis has said that he feels healthy and has no intention

00:42of stepping down.

00:43Some of the videos even use clips from The Onion, a well-known satirical news site.

00:48They also make a fundamental mistake. Popes aren't appointed. They're elected by cardinals.

00:54But how does the process work?

00:55When a Pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals gathers in the Vatican to prepare

01:00to choose his successor.

01:02After a series of general congregations where they discuss the Catholic Church's needs and

01:06challenges, they hold what's known as the Papal Conclave to elect the new Bishop of

01:10Rome.

01:11Only cardinals under 80 years of age can vote in this secretive ballot and the maximum number

01:16of cardinal electors stands at 120.

01:19They seal themselves in the Sistine Chapel and aren't allowed any contact with the outside

01:23world to avoid any undue influence.

01:26Cardinals vote four times a day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.

01:30Each time no candidate achieves this, the ballots are burnt in chemicals that produce

01:34black smoke.

01:36When a candidate is chosen, the votes are burnt in chemicals that produce the iconic

01:40white smoke, signalling to the world that a new Pope has been elected.

01:44He then chooses his papal name and heads to the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, making

01:49his first public appearance as Pope.

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