Cardinals prepare for their most sacred responsibility, the conclave to elect a new Pope

The upcoming papal conclave—beginning 7 May and expected to be the largest in history—will be the latest expression of a venerable tradition and an institutional safeguard designed to protect the Church during its most vulnerable period, when the See of Rome is vacant.

‘Rooted in tradition codified in the 1996 Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis and refined by later papal decrees, the conclave locks the cardinal-electors inside the Sistine Chapel under oath of secrecy until they have chosen a new Bishop of Rome by a two-thirds majority,’ explains historian Prof Darius von Güttner of the Australian Catholic University.

During the nine-day novendiales mourning period following a pope’s death, the College of Cardinals assembles for general congregations. These meetings begin by finalising funeral arrangements before establishing the conclave date and making election preparations, including ‘the refitting of the Domus Sanctae Marthae into a secure hostel for electors’ and ‘the transformation of the Sistine Chapel into an electoral chamber’, according to Prof von Güttner.

All the faithful are prayerful participants, not just passive bystanders.

This transformation includes installing temporary voting facilities and the distinctive stove for ballot burning as well as the chimney for the all-important smoke to pour out of—black signifying no one has been chosen; white declaring Habemus Papam, (‘We have a Pope’).

‘Technicians scour every cornice for listening devices,’ Prof von Güttner says. ‘Even now the oath of secrecy already hovers: all workers must swear never to disclose what they have seen or heard.’

Fr Tony Kerin, the Archdiocese of Melbourne’s Vicar-General and a canon lawyer, points out that this papal interregnum is a little different from the last sede vacante, which followed Pope Benedict’s resignation and did not feature a papal funeral.

‘[But] as ever we are asked to pray for the cardinal-electors who have the duty and privilege to discern the choice of the Holy Spirit for the next successor of St Peter as Christ’s vicar,’ he says. ‘Our prayers are an important component in this process—all the faithful are prayerful participants, not just passive bystanders, in an interregnum.’

It is, in fact, a religious ceremony of discernment designed to engage the Holy Spirit ... subject to liturgical law every bit as much as canon law.

Fr Kerin observes that much of the reportage around the upcoming conclave is informed by popular culture, particularly the recent blockbuster Hollywood film Conclave, leading to misunderstandings and misrepresentations of the process. He cautions that each step, from announcing the death of a pope to announcing the name of his successor, is determined by the document Universi Domini Gregis.

‘What almost all reporters have missed is that this is not simply an election,’ Fr Kerin says. ‘It is, in fact, a religious ceremony of discernment designed to engage the Holy Spirit. The conduct of a conclave is subject to liturgical law every bit as much as canon law. It takes place in the Sistine Chapel for this very reason.

‘Those who have suggested the process could be better automated if conducted in the Synod Aula, with its voting buttons and tally display screens, are dismissing the most essential element of this prayer service to interpret the will of the Holy Spirit for the Church.’

At the conclusion of the final day of mourning, the camerlengo—the cardinal tasked with a specific series of functions during the transition from one pope to his successor—guides cardinals through practical decisions regarding rotating assistants, spiritual exhortations and voting procedures.

The papal office, unlike the man, does not die.

There are 135 cardinals under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a papal election—133 will be taking part. By contrast, 115 cardinals took part in the conclaves in 2005 and 2013. Though cardinals aged over 80 cannot vote, they contribute valuable perspectives to pre-conclave discussions, Prof von Güttner says, offering ‘historical memory and regional insight’ while reinforcing ‘that the papal office, unlike the man, does not die.’

The current cardinal-electors represent 72 different countries—both the nations where they are serving and where they were born. While the geographical breakdown of those who will vote has become more diverse, Europeans are still the largest block, with 52 of the electors.

However, Asia is more represented now than ever before with 24 electors or almost 18 per cent of the total. There are 23 cardinal-electors representing Latin America, and 18 for Africa. North America, with 14 electors, represents about 10 per cent, and Oceania has four voting-age cardinals, including Ukrainian-born Australian Cardinal Mykola Bychok of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Sts Peter and Paul of Melbourne.

The cardinals’ average age is 70 years and 5 months, which is slightly younger than the average age of electors who participated in the last conclave in 2013.

Among the voting-age cardinals, there are 33 members of religious orders, including five Salesians, four Jesuits, four Franciscans and three Conventual Franciscans.

At dawn on the first day of the conclave, St Peter’s Basilica will resound with the Votive Mass Pro Eligendo Papa. Its orations ask that the electors be guided by what is best for the Church, rather than personal preferences, Prof von Güttner explains.

They move from one sacred space to another, leaving behind the diplomatic corridors of the Apostolic Palace for Michelangelo’s painted narrative of creation, covenant and judgement.

‘Late that afternoon the cardinals assemble in the Pauline Chapel, don choir dress and process towards the Sistine Chapel while chanting [the traditional hymn] Veni Creator Spiritus.’ The symbolism is deliberate, he says, as ‘they move from one sacred space to another, leaving behind the diplomatic corridors of the Apostolic Palace for Michelangelo’s painted narrative of creation, covenant and judgement.’

Upon arrival, each cardinal swears an oath of secrecy and defence of the Holy See’s freedom. With the command ‘extra omnes’ (‘all out’), all non-electors depart, the doors are ceremonially locked and, after a final meditation reminding them that ‘they choose not a monarch but a servant of servants’, the sacred responsibility of voting begins.