Papal Conclave

Catholic Church Institutions

The most recent papal conclave began on March 12, 2013, and concluded on March 13, 2013, when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis. A papal conclave is the fo...

Catholic Canon Law

At any given time, a small, defined group of Catholic cardinals under age 80 are eligible to enter a papal conclave and are generally considered up for pope. These electors are...

culture-tradition

White smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel is one of the most recognizable visual signals of a papal conclave, indicating the election of a new pope. This evergreen explainer ex...

Catholic Church

When a pope dies or resigns, the question who chooses the new pope refers primarily to the College of Cardinals, acting together in a papal conclave that follows precise norms o...

Status Updates

When people ask, "did they pick a pope yet," they are really asking about the current phase of a papal conclave and what observable signs indicate a decision has been made. This...

Religion & Belief

The Vatican white smoke is the visual signal released from the Sistine Chapel chimney to inform the world whether a new pope has been elected. During a papal conclave, black smo...

Guides And Explainers

The Vatican smoke stack is the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel inside the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. Its purpose is to signal the progress of papal conclaves: smoke...

religion

A papal conclave is the formal process by which the College of Cardinals elects a new pope, typically convened when the see becomes vacant due to death, resignation, or prolonge...

religion

White smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney during a papal conclave signals that the cardinals have elected a new pope. This signal follows a structured voting process overseen...

Celebrity Profiles

Conclave 2018 most commonly refers to the papal conclave that convened in March 2013, not 2018, during which the Catholic Church elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. A...