Their primary responsibility is to elect a new pope. Following a vacancy in the papacy, the cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican called general congregations. They discuss the needs and the challenges facing the Catholic Church globally. They will also prepare for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave. Decisions that only the pope can make, such as appointing a bishop or convening the Synod of Bishops, must wait till after the election.
In the past, they made arrangements for the funeral and burial of the deceased pope. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. He pierces each paper with a needle - through the word "Eligio" - placing all the ballots on a single thread.
The ballot papers are then burned - giving off the smoke visible to onlookers outside which traditionally turns from black to white once a new pope has been chosen. Damp straw was once added to the stove to turn the smoke black, but over the years there has often been confusion over the colour of the smoke.
More recently a dye has been used. If a second vote is to take place immediately, the ballots from the first vote are put on one side and then burned together with those from the second vote.
The process continues until one candidate has achieved the required majority. Pope John Paul II changed the rules of election in Previously, a candidate had to secure a majority of two-thirds to be elected pope two-thirds plus one vote if the number of cardinals does not divide by three.
In , Pope Benedict passed a decree reverting back to the two-thirds majority, thus encouraging cardinals to reach consensus, rather than one bloc backing a candidate with more than half the votes and then holding out for 12 days to ensure his election.
If after three days of balloting nobody has gained the two-thirds majority, voting is suspended for a maximum of one day to allow a pause for prayer, informal discussion and what is described as "a brief spiritual exhortation" by the senior cardinal in the Order of Deacons. At the end of the election, a document is drawn up giving the results of the voting at each session, and handed over to the new pope. It is kept in an archive in a sealed envelope, which can be opened only on the orders of the pope.
The only clue about what is going on inside the Sistine Chapel is the smoke that emerges twice a day from burning the ballot papers. Black signals failure. The traditional white smoke means a new pope has been chosen.
After the election of the new pope has been signalled by white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney, there will be a short delay before his identity is finally revealed to the world. Once one candidate has attained the required majority, he is then asked: "Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff? Having given his consent, the new pope is asked: "By what name do you wish to be called? Read More. Photos: Benedict's final papal audience.
Benedict's decision to resign earlier this month caught a lot of Vatican watchers, apparently even some in his inner circle, off-guard. Hide Caption. Benedict's final papal audience — The pope delivers his blessing. Benedict recounted how when he was asked to be pope eight years ago, he had prayed for God's guidance and had felt his presence "every day" since.
Peter's Square. In an unusually personal message, he said there had been "many days of sunshine" but also "times when the water was rough Benedict XVI's final papal audience — Cardinals listen to the pope. Benedict XVI's final papal audience — The pope waves to the crowd. Benedict XVI's final papal audience — A pilgrim prays as he attends Benedict's final general audience address. Benedict XVI's final papal audience — Nuns attend the address. The pope used his last general audience to call for a renewal of faith and speak of his own spiritual journey through eight years as leader of the world's 1.
Benedict XVI's final papal audience — The pope kisses a child as he arrives. Benedict XVI's final papal audience — Benedict waves to the faithful. Benedict XVI's final papal audience — Benedict waves to the crowd as he arrives in the popemobile. Benedict XVI's final papal audience — Benedict leaves the altar at the end of his last weekly audience.
Peter's Square ahead of pope's last public audience address. Among the crowds were groups of pilgrims who had traveled to Rome for the special occasion, as well as locals and curious visitors keen to share in the moment. Benedict will leave office at 8 p.
He has slightly amended the year-old policy on pope selection to get a successor into place more rapidly. The cardinals may to be able to pull it off before March 15, according to Father Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman. This would give the new pontiff a little over a week to prepare for the next mass, Palm Sunday celebrations, on March While Benedict won't be directly involved in his successor's selection, his influence will undoubtedly be felt.
There are rules to have others take those positions as the voting continues. One of the infirmarii collects the ballots from the ill. There are even rules if the cardinal is unable to write. After everyone including the scrutineers have voted and all the ballots have been placed in the urn, the container is shaken and then opened.
Each scrutineer records each vote. After the names have been read out, the ends of the thread are tied in a knot, and the ballots thus joined together are placed in a receptacle or on one side of the table. The revisers must double check the ballots. If no one obtains at least two-thirds of the vote on that ballot, a pope has not been elected.
There are two votes in the morning and then, after a break, two more in the afternoon. Before the electors leave the chapel, the scrutineers burn the ballots in a stove installed for that purpose, along with any notes made by the cardinals.
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