Conclave

Conclave (Latin cum, “with” and clavis, “key”), in the Roman Catholic church, private meeting of cardinals assembled for the election of a pope. The term may also be applied to the place where such assemblies are held. The regulations governing conclaves were originally laid down by Pope Gregory X in 1274; they were altered by Pope Pius XII and by Pope John XXIII.

When a pope dies, the College of Cardinals assumes supreme ecclesiastical authority. A portion of the Vatican, including the Sistine Chapel, is closed off, leaving only one constantly guarded door open. The rooms surrounding the chapel are divided into small apartments to provide living accommodations for each cardinal, his secretary, and a servant. Food is prepared within the enclosure, and the cardinals may not leave or communicate with anyone outside until a pope is elected. All are sworn to secrecy; ballots are secret, and voting by proxy is not permitted. Only cardinals may vote, and although any Roman Catholic is theoretically eligible for election, the candidates are invariably selected from among the cardinals. In 1970 Pope Paul VI restricted the right to serve as an elector to those cardinals below the age of 80.

Two to four ballots are taken each day in the Sistine Chapel until one candidate receives at least two-thirds of the vote. He is then formally asked by the dean of the cardinals whether or not he accepts election and, if he does, what papal name he proposes to adopt. A cardinal then leaves the conclave to announce the election in the loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica, and the conclave is dissolved.