Les cardinaux ont quelques jours pour trouver un successeur au pape François. Cent trente-trois cardinaux électeurs se réuniront dans le plus grand secret, le mercredi 7 mai, sous les fresques majestueuses de la chapelle Sixtine pour le conclave, qui se termine une fois le 267ᵉ souverain pontife élu. Franceinfo résume tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur cet événement crucial pour l’Eglise catholique.
1Qu’est-il arrivé avant le conclave ?
Avant le début du conclave, les tractations ont déjà commencé au Vatican. Les cardinaux se sont réunis à Rome après la mort du pape François, entre le 22 avril et le 6 mai inclus (à l’exception des 1er et 4 mai), en congrégations générales. Ces réunions préparatoires privées ont permis à chacun de se rencontrer et d’échanger. Un rendez-vous important a eu lieu le lundi 5 mai, où tous ceux qui doivent assister au vote ont prêté serment de garder le secret depuis la chapelle Pauline du palais apostolique.
2Quand et où se déroule le conclave ?
Le conclave doit débuter le 7 mai. Les cardinaux assisteront à une messe à la basilique Saint-Pierre à 10 heures, puis se rendront à la chapelle Sixtine pour le vote après avoir prononcé le serment de respecter les règles du conclave et de garder le secret absolu.
Une fois que le dernier cardinal électeur aura prêté serment, l’« extra omnes » sera annoncé, signifiant à tous ceux qui ne sont pas électeurs de quitter la chapelle. Les portes se fermeront et l’élection pourra commencer.
3Qui vote pour élire le nouveau pape ?
Sur les 252 cardinaux de l’Eglise, seuls 133 cardinaux électeurs pourront voter lors du conclave. Deux cardinaux manqueront le vote pour des raisons de santé, ramenant le nombre de votants à 133.
4Quelles sont les règles de confidentialité imposées aux cardinaux ?
Les cardinaux électeurs ne peuvent utiliser aucun moyen de communication ou d’information pendant le conclave. Un périmètre est mis en place pour qu’ils ne puissent être approchés par quiconque.
5Qui sont les Français participants au scrutin ?
Cinq Français participent au vote pour le nouveau pape. On retrouve notamment Jean-Marc Aveline et Philippe Barbarin parmi les électeurs.
6Qui sont les favoris pour devenir pape ?
Parmi les favoris pour devenir pape, on retrouve Pietro Parolin, Jean-Marc Aveline, Matteo Maria Zuppi, Peter Turkson, Peter Erdő et Luis Antonio Tagle.
7Que se passe-t-il si les cardinaux ne parviennent pas à se mettre d’accord ?
Les cardinaux électeurs votent chacun leur tour. S’ils ne parviennent pas à s’accorder sur un nom, ils continueront à voter jusqu’à ce qu’un candidat obtienne la majorité requise.
If the election does not take place after this first vote, the ritual continues in the following days with a pace of two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon. To elect a pope, a two-thirds majority of the present voters is essential, which is 89 votes this time. Cardinals are not allowed to vote for themselves. After the ballot, the ballots are burned twice a day. If no majority is reached, the smoke coming out of the chimney is black, and the vote is repeated.
If, after the first four days, no name emerges, the votes are suspended for a day dedicated to prayer and exchanges among the voters, as explained by the Conference of Bishops of France. The votes resume the next day for a maximum of seven ballots, spread over two days. This sequence can be repeated two more times. If the new pope is still not found, only the two names with the highest number of votes in the previous ballot become eligible. One of the two names must obtain two-thirds of the votes for the election to be validated.
In the 13th century, it took nearly three years to elect Pope Gregory X, the absolute record to this day. Due to changes in the Apostolic Constitution, this scenario could no longer occur today. Of the last ten elections, none has required more than four days of conclave, as highlighted by the Catholic media Aleteia. In 2013, when the choice fell on Jorge Mario Bergoglio, only two days and five rounds of voting were needed.
When the electors agree, a bell rings along with applause, as reported by La Vie. The elected person is then asked for their consent to the task: «Do you accept your canonical election as the Sovereign Pontiff?» If they accept, they are also asked, «By what name do you wish to be called?»
A white smoke then emerges from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, filmed by cameras worldwide. The sede vacante then ends. The large bell of St. Peter’s Basilica rings, and the phrase «Habemus Papam» («We have a pope» in Latin) is pronounced from the central balcony of the building by the eldest cardinal in office. This cardinal has the honor of announcing the news to the faithful. At the time of the election of Pope Francis in 2013, it was also a Frenchman, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who announced the election of the Argentine pope. The new pope then gives his first apostolic blessing from the same balcony.
Before the start of the conclave, negotiations had already begun at the Vatican. Arriving in Rome after the death of Pope Francis, the cardinals held general congregations between April 22 and May 6 (except May 1 and 4). Less known than the conclave ceremony, these private preparatory meetings allowed everyone to meet and exchange. They were open to all cardinals, even those who are no longer eligible to participate in the conclave.
Another important meeting took place on May 5: all those who must assist in the voting process, including laypeople (doctors, drivers, cooks, security and cleaning staff), swore to keep the secret from the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace.
The conclave always begins between 15 and 20 days after the start of the sede vacante, according to the apostolic constitution. During a general congregation last week, the cardinals decided to start the conclave precisely on May 7. On that day, the cardinals will participate in a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at 10 am local time. At 4:15 pm, they will gather at the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and proceed in a procession to the Sistine Chapel, which has been closed since April 28 until the election. After the final liturgical chant, they will swear to respect the rules of the conclave and keep absolute secrecy.
When the last of the cardinal electors has taken the oath, the master of liturgical celebrations will announce «extra omnes,» meaning «everyone out!» Those who are not electors will leave the chapel, and the doors will close. Then the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will ask the electors if the election can proceed, as detailed by Vatican News.
The Church has 252 cardinals worldwide, but the age limit to be an elector is set at 80 years. This eliminates a significant portion, and initially, a list of 135 names was published by the Vatican. However, two of them will miss the conclave due to health reasons, as announced by the Vatican press office. The absence of these two cardinals reduces the number of electors to 133, a record number compared to the 115 in 2013. The majority will discover the highly ritualized functioning of the conclave, as two-thirds of them were appointed by Francis during his pontificate between 2013 and 2025.
The rules of confidentiality imposed on the cardinals during the conclave are strict. The term «conclave» comes from the Latin words «cum» (with) and «clave» (key), literally meaning «locked with a key.» The conclave must take place in utmost secrecy, under penalty of excommunication. The elector cardinals are not allowed to use their phones or send mail during this period. They cannot watch TV, read newspapers, or use any other means of communication or information, as explained by the Conference of Bishops of France. A perimeter is also established to prevent the elector cardinals from being approached by anyone, especially during their movements between the residence of St. Martha, where they stay during the conclave, and the Sistine Chapel, where the voting takes place.
Five French cardinals are among the electors of the new pope, one more than in the last conclave. They include Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and the new President of the Conference of Bishops of France, as well as Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop Emeritus of Lyon, who became a symbol of the Church’s silences in the face of pedocriminality before being acquitted on appeal in 2020. Also present are François Bustillo, Bishop of Ajaccio, Dominique Mamberti, who heads the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature and will be responsible for pronouncing the famous formula «Habemus papam» announcing the election of the pope, and Christophe Pierre, the Holy See’s Ambassador to the United States.
Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers with dual French-Algerian nationality, will also participate in the vote but is not counted among the French cardinals by the Vatican.
The lists of «papabili» (Italian word for favorites) quickly emerged after the announcement of Pope Francis’s death, causing a stir among bookmakers. However, predicting the next pope is risky due to the multitude of factors involved and the secretive nature of each elector’s intentions. Nevertheless, names like Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s number two, and the Frenchman Jean-Marc Aveline frequently appear in the predictions. The Archbishop of Bologna, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, is also well-placed in various rankings, as are Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana and Cardinal Peter Erdő from Hungary. The leading Asian candidate for the papacy, former Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Tagle, is also a favorite.
If the cardinals fail to agree on a name, the voting process continues. Each elector cardinal votes one by one. On the afternoon of the first day, they vote once. If no election takes place after this first vote, the ritual continues in the following days with two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon. To elect the pope, a two-thirds majority of the electors present is required, which amounts to 89 votes. The cardinals are not allowed to vote for themselves. At the end of the ballot, the ballots are burned twice a day. If no majority is reached, the smoke that comes out of the chimney is black, indicating that a new vote is required.
If, after the first four days, no name emerges, the votes are suspended for a day dedicated to prayer and exchanges among the electors. The votes resume the next day for a maximum of seven ballots, spread over two days. This sequence can be repeated two more times. If the new pope is still not found, only the two names with the most votes in the previous ballot become eligible. One of the two names must receive two-thirds of the votes for the election to be validated.
In the 13th century, it took nearly three years to designate Pope Gregory X, the absolute record to date. However, due to changes in the Apostolic Constitution, this scenario is unlikely to occur today. In the last ten elections, none has required more than four days of conclave, as noted by the Catholic media Aleteia. In 2013, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was chosen, only two days and five rounds of voting were needed.
Once the electors have reached an agreement, a bell rings, and there are applause, as reported by La Vie. The elected candidate is asked if they accept their canonical election as the Supreme Pontiff. They are also asked, «By what name do you wish to be called?» White smoke then emanates from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, filmed by cameras worldwide.
The «sede vacante» period comes to an end. The large bell of St. Peter’s Basilica rings, and the phrase «Habemus papam» («We have a pope» in Latin) is announced from the central balcony of the building by the oldest cardinal in office. It is the cardinal Dominique Mamberti who will have the honor of announcing the news to the faithful. At the time of the election of Pope Francis in 2013, it was also a Frenchman, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who announced the election of the Argentine pope. The new pope then gives his first apostolic blessing from the same balcony.
Si aucun candidat n’obtient les deux tiers des voix nécessaires pour être élu, un jour de pause est observé tous les sept tours. Après trente-trois votes infructueux, un conclave est déclaré nul et doit être recommencé.
To elect the pope, a two-thirds majority of the present voters is necessary, which is 89 votes this time. Cardinals are not allowed to vote for themselves. At the end of the ballot, the ballots are burned twice a day. If no majority is reached, the smoke coming out of the chimney is black, and the vote is repeated.
If after the first four days no name emerges, the votes are suspended for a day dedicated to prayer and discussions among the voters, as explained by the Conference of Bishops of France. The votes resume the next day for a maximum of seven ballots spread over two days. This sequence can be repeated two more times. If the new pope is still not found, only the two names with the highest number of votes from the previous ballot become eligible. One of the two names must receive two-thirds of the votes for the election to be valid.
In the 13th century, it took nearly three years to select Pope Gregory X, the current absolute record. However, due to changes in the apostolic constitution, this scenario could no longer occur today. In the last ten elections, none has required more than four days of conclave, as noted by the Catholic media Aleteia. In 2013, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was chosen, only two days and five rounds of voting were needed.
How will the result of the conclave be announced?
Once the voters have reached an agreement, a bell rings along with applause, as reported by La Vie. The elected person is then asked for their consent to the task: «Do you accept your canonical election as the supreme pontiff?» If they accept, they are also asked, «By what name do you wish to be called?»
At that moment, white smoke emerges from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, filmed by cameras around the world.
The sede vacante then ends. The great bell of St. Peter’s Basilica rings, and the phrase «Habemus papam» («We have a pope» in Latin) is pronounced from the central balcony of the building by the most senior cardinal in office. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti will have the honor of announcing the news to the faithful. At the time of Pope Francis’ appointment in 2013, it was also a Frenchman, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who announced the election of the Argentine pope. The new pope then gives his first apostolic blessing from the same balcony. «Rewrite» can be rephrased as «paraphrase» or «reword.»
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