Chapter 11

Period Between Popes

Period Between Popes

How Conclave Works

A total of 133 of the 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope are to enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave on May 7. Modern conclaves have lasted two to three days, although the one that elected Pope Francis lasted 24 hours. Two-thirds majority is needed for someone to be selected pope.

Make-up of Cardinal Electors

  •  There are 135 cardinals under the age of 80 eligible to vote in a papal election. By contrast, 115 cardinals took part in the conclaves in 2005 and 2013.
  • The cardinals represent 72 different countries.
  • The cardinals’ average age is 70 years and 5 months.
  • Around 80% of the cardinals eligible to vote were created by Pope Francis.
  • Europe has 37%, Asia has 18%, Latin America has 17%, Africa has 14%, North America has 10%, and Oceania has 3%.
  • 33 are members of religious orders.
  • Two-thirds majority is needed to elect a pope, at least 90 votes.

U.S. Cardinal Electors

List of the U.S. cardinals who are under the age of 80 and eligible to elect a new pope:

  • Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, retired prefect of the Apostolic Signature.
  • Cardinal Blasé J. Cupich of Chicago.
  • Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston.
  • Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York.
  • Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life under Pope Francis.
  • Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, retired archbishop of Washington.
  • Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
  • Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, archbishop of Washington.
  • Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis.
  • Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey.

Smoke Signals

The cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel May 7 to elect a new pope use smoke signals to communicate with the outside world.

 

Black smoke indicates they have cast their votes without anyone garnering the necessary two-thirds majority, while white smoke confirms that the Catholic Church has a new pope.

 

The best time to be in St. Peter’s Square to see the smoke is just after 7 p.m. (10 a.m. PDT) the first day of the conclave, May 7; and on the following days at 10:30 a.m. (1:30 a.m. PDT) and noon (3 a.m. PDT), and again at 5:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. PDT) and just after 7 p.m. (10 a.m. PDT).

 

Predicting when the smoke will rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is not an exact science. The time needed for the cardinals’ prayers, discussions and vote counting can vary.

How Conclave Works

The funeral rites will occur according to the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificus (Funeral Rites for the Roman Pontiff). These were developed by Pope St. John Paul II and used at his funeral in 2005. Pope Benedict XVI modified them and they were used at his funeral in 2022. And Pope Francis simplified them further in 2024.

Make-up of Cardinal Electors

  •  There are 135 cardinals under the age of 80 eligible to vote in a papal election. By contrast, 115 cardinals took part in the conclaves in 2005 and 2013
  • The cardinals represent 72 different countries.
  • The cardinals’ average age is 70 years and 5 months.
  • Around 80% of the cardinals eligible to vote were created by Pope Francis.
  • 37% come from Europe, Asia has 18%, Latin America has 17%, Africa with 14%, North America 10%, and Oceania has 3%.
  • 33 are members of religious orders.
  • Two-thirds majority is needed to elect a pope, at least 90 votes.

U.S. Cardinal Electors

List of the U.S. cardinals who are under the age of 80 and eligible to elect a new pope:

  • Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, retired prefect of the Apostolic Signature.
  • Cardinal Blasé   J. Cupich of Chicago.
  • Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston.
  • Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York.
  • Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life under Pope Francis.
  • Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, retired archbishop of Washington.
  • Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
  • Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, archbishop of Washington.
  • Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
  • Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey.

Smoke Signals

The cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel May 7 to elect a new pope use smoke signals to communicate with the outside world.

 

Black smoke indicates they have cast their votes without anyone garnering the necessary two-thirds majority, while white smoke confirms that the Catholic Church has a new pope.

 

The best time to be in St. Peter’s Square to see the smoke is just after 7 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) the first day of the conclave, May 7; and on the following days at 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. EDT) and noon (6 a.m. EDT), and again at 5:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. EDT) and just after 7 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT).

 

Predicting when the smoke will rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is not an exact science. The time needed for the cardinals’ prayers, discussions and vote counting can vary.

Special Terms Used During the Period Between Popes

Here is an explanation of some of the terms and practices related to the time between the death of Pope Francis April 21 and the election of his successor.

Dioceses are also called “sees.” The Latin for “when the see is vacant” is “sede vacante.” When the vacant see is the pope’s Diocese of Rome, all major church decisions, such as new legislation or the appointment of bishops, stop until a new pope is elected. Only ordinary business and matters that cannot be postponed can be conducted by the College of Cardinals.

The period between popes is called an “interregnum” — between reigns — even though St. Paul VI set aside many of the regal trappings of the papacy and references to a papal “reign” gradually fell into disuse. Pope Paul inaugurated his ministry in 1963 with a coronation, then set aside the papal tiara. It was the last time a pope wore the beehive-shaped tiara, a triple crown.
A meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope is a conclave. The word — from the Latin “cum clave” (with key) — means under lock and key. In 1268, cardinals couldn’t decide on a new pope. After nearly three years the people finally locked them up and cut their rations. The man elected, Pope Gregory X, ordered that in the future cardinals be sequestered from the start, and eventually the practice became normative.

U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, as camerlengo, or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, assisted by the vice chamberlain and a canonical adviser, is in charge of safeguarding the temporal goods of the church and its temporal rights during the interregnum. The chamberlain heads a three-member commission that oversees physical preparations for the conclave and leads what is called a “particular congregation” — a group of three other cardinals chosen by lot — to conduct the minor day-to-day business of the Vatican until a new pope is elected.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re is the current dean. As dean, he calls the cardinals to Rome and presides over their daily meetings before the conclave. Because Cardinal Re is over 80 and ineligible to enter the conclave, the dean’s duties inside the Sistine Chapel will be handled by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the top-ranking cardinal-bishop of those under 80. Inside the chapel, Cardinal Parolin will administer the oath of secrecy and preside over the conclave. When a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority vote, Cardinal Parolin —in the name of the entire college — asks the candidate if he accepts the election and what name he will take.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 on the day the “sede vacante” begins can enter a conclave and vote for a pope. Even if he is retired from other church posts, if a cardinal is under 80 he is considered an active cardinal for the purposes of the conclave. As of April 21, the day of Pope Francis’ death, there are 135 cardinal-electors.

All cardinals who are able to go to Rome attend the general congregations, which are daily meetings in which the College of Cardinals prepares for a conclave, discusses the needs of the church and handles more serious church business that must be attended to between popes. Cardinals over 80 may participate in these meetings but they are not required to. General congregations end when the cardinals enter into conclave.
Between popes, the church’s camerlengo and three other cardinals chosen by lot handle the day-to-day business of the Holy See in daily meetings called particular congregations. These continue while the cardinals are in conclave. Every three days three new cardinals are chosen by lot to assist the camerlengo.
The Latin command, “all outside,” orders everyone who is not authorized to be in the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to leave before the conclave starts.
Cardinals take two oaths of secrecy not to reveal to anyone anything directly or indirectly related to the election of the pope. The first oath is taken the first day a cardinal joins the general congregation; the second, at the start of the conclave. The few non-cardinals authorized to assist the cardinals while they are in conclave also take an oath of secrecy.
These are three cardinals, chosen by lot at the start of a conclave, to oversee the depositing of the marked, folded ballots for pope into an urn. They shake the urn, count the ballots to assure the number of votes and voters matches, then open each ballot and record and read aloud the name on it. They add the votes cast for each candidate to determine if a pope has been elected and handle the burning of the ballots and any notes taken by cardinals.
Three cardinals are chosen by lot at the start of a conclave to oversee conclave voting by any cardinal-electors who are too ill or infirm to sit through the conclave sessions in the Sistine Chapel. On each ballot, after depositing their votes in an urn, they go together to the sick cardinals with blank ballots and a locked box in which the completed ballots can be placed through a slit. They return to the conclave and deliver the votes.
Three cardinals, chosen by lot at the start of a conclave, recount and verify each round of balloting for the election of a pope.

The traditional signal, from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, indicates whether a pope has been elected: Black smoke, no; white smoke, yes. The smoke is generated by burning conclave ballots and notes with chemicals to make the smoke the right color.

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About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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