Who will choose the next pope? A highly secret conclave

Fortune

With the death of Pope Francis, attention now turns to the selection of his successor. The next pope will be chosen in what is called a “conclave,” a Latin word meaning “a room that can be locked up,” or, more simply, “a closed room.”⁠

Transcript

00:00Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, leaving a big task to the Catholic Church,

00:05selecting his replacement. Now, Catholic faith leaders from around the globe will gather for

00:10a highly secretive conclave to determine the Church's future. Here's how it works.

00:14About two to three weeks after Pope Francis' funeral, the eligible members of the College

00:19of Cardinals will make a procession to the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to cast their votes

00:24behind the closed and locked doors. No cell phones or Wi-Fi is allowed, and electronic

00:30jamming devices will have been set up to prevent eavesdropping. Cardinal electors must be under the

00:35age of 80 to vote in the conclave and will take an oath of absolute secrecy. A new Pope is elected

00:40by two-thirds majority, but if that threshold is not reached during the first round of voting,

00:45the ballots will be burned in a stove and black smoke will rise from the Sistine Chapel's chimney.

00:49For every day after, four rounds of voting will occur until a successor is chosen.

00:55Once a winner is chosen and accepts the position, the ballots will be burned to create white smoke

01:00signaling the end of the conclave. The new Pope will then decide his name and greet the crowd

01:04from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica before delivering his first blessing.

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