Education in Faith
As we release this newsletter it coincides with the news that we have a new Pope!
We pray for and welcome Pope Leo XIV who has freshly been elected to lead the Catholic Church.
Each of our classes have been learning about the process of electing a new pope, which is called the Conclave. Read on a little bit longer to find out all about it !
A Serious Job
When an cardinal accepts the title of Pope, this is a job for life! This understates how important this role is. A pope will stay as Pope until the day that they die, unless they feel they can no longer perform their duties and retire. This is very rare, though it did happen with Pope Bennedict in 2013 when he felt he could no longer perform his duties.
The Conclave is called
When it is time to elect a new Pope, the Conclave is called. Cardinals from around the world gather in the Vatican to prepare for this process. They are then locked in a room. The word Conclave actually means 'with a key' which refers to the way the cardinals are seperated from the outside world. Don't worry, it's not like a jail cell! The cardinals are comfortable and have space, and have fresh food prepared by Nuns at the Vatican for them.
Voting
The gathered cardinals vote on who they believe will perform best as the Pope. Votes are collected on pieces of paper which are then burned. This keeps the votes secret but also helps communicate to the outside world how things are going!
Black smoke out of the Vatican chimney means they are still deciding, and there will be subsequent votes. A two thirds majority is needed to elect a Pope. The way this works is that if there is a cardinal who only recieves minimal nominations, they will then not be allowed to enter in subsequent votes.
The cardinals keep praying, discussing and voting. Once a two thirds majority is met, we have a new pope! These votes are burnt too, but they are combined with a special chemical making the smoke from the Vatican white. People excitedly gather outside!
Accepting the role
The cardinal receiving the most votes firstly needs to accept this role. Fair enough right it is a lot of responsibility!
The cardinal will say "Accepto", Latin for I accept this role.
The new pope must then do something special, chose a new name! There are no strict rules for this process, but you cannot use your given name at birth. New popes select a title by considering:
- A name inspired by a previous pope they admire
- A saint they want to honor
- A symbolic message they want to send (like humility or reform)
Once the name is selected, the contract is signed and we officially have a new pope! A cardinal will announce "Habemus Papam" meaning "We have a new pope!" and crowds will gather for the Pope to appear on the balcony of the Sistene Chapel.
You will see in Margaret's section of the newsletter a special prayer for our new Pope. We wish him well and pray for his safety and wellbeing.
You can also see a video on our Instagram and Facebook of some of our students explaining this process too, they do a much better job than me!
God bless!
Tim O'Mahoney
Education in Faith Leader
tomahoney@santglen.catholic.edu.au