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How do the popes decide on electing a new pope?
Popes do not vote. It is the cardinals who elect a pope. Popes are usually dead at the time of an election or retired. In either case they would not be eligible to vote. The cardinals simply vote. After each ballot is cast, the top contenders are then subject to additional ballots until one of them emerges with 2/3 of the vote. If that cardinal accepts the position of pope, he is then declared the new pope.
Who chooses the new pope?
The pope is chosen by the Cardinal Electors - all the cardinals under the age of 80.
How many cardinals are expected to vote for the new pope?
In the March 2013 conclave, 115 cardinals took part.
What do Roman Catholic cardinals do?
Catholic cardinals do the same thing as archbishops just they can vote for a new pope [if there under 80].
Who is eligible to select a new pope?
Only cardinals under the age of 80 at the beginning of the conclave are eligible to vote for a new pope. For the upcoming conclave that will replace Pope Benedict XVI there are 117 cardinals who meet that qualification.
How many United States cardinals attended the conclave to vote a new pope?
11 cardinals from the United States took part in the conclave of March 2013.
How do the cardinals show if they have elected a pope?
When a vote is taken the ballots are counted and recorded. Then they are burned in a stove in the Sistine Chapel. If the vote failed to elect a pope, chemicals are added to the burning ballots to turn the smoke black. If the vote elected a new pope, chemicals are added to turn the smoke white. This is how the outside world learns if a pope has been elected.
Is the cardinal that is elected as Pope part of the voting process?
Yes, all the cardinals in the conclave vote. They have the same right to vote for whomever they feel is the best choice to be the new pope. Besides, until the voting is complete, the cardinal has no idea that he was elected.
What is Pope Benedict XVI's new title?
He is known as the Pope Emeritus, which is a retired pope.
In which building do cardinals meet to elect a new pope in?
The Sistine Chapel is where the Cardinals meet to elect a new Pope.
Do the cardinals actually cast the ballots in the election of the pope and if so how?
No. Only cardinals under 80 years of age are eligible to vote for the new pope. In addition, the elector cardinals must be able to travel to Rome for the conclave, so if they are too ill or otherwise detained then they will not be able to vote. There may also be "secret" cardinals in countries where the Church is persecuted where the "secret" cardinal may not even know that the Pope had given him this honor. Pope John Paul II is known to have created a "secret" cardinal. "Secret" cardinals would not be able to vote for a new pope and stay secret.
Why are cardinals over 80 not eligible to elect a new pope?
Pope Paul VI instituted the rule out of respect for the elderly cardinals who would find a strenuous trip to the Vatican and conclave to be a hardship. It also has a practical purpose. The number of electors is limited to 120. Before a pope could only appoint a new cardinal if one of the elderly died. Now the pope can look at the list of cardinals due to retire that year and appoint a number of new cardinals to fill the coming vacancies to maintain the number at, or near, 120. Most of the retired cardinals still remain active, to a degree, in work for the Church but no longer carry the burden of travel to elect a new pope.
