After a pope dies, the Catholic Church chooses its next leader through an ancient electoral process called the “papal conclave.”

In practice, since at least 1276, the conclave gathers the church’s top bishops – called the College of Cardinals – from around the globe. Though there are more than 240 cardinals currently, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave and the number of cardinal electors is limited to 120.  

Nearly all prefects of Vatican offices lose their jobs when a pope dies, but a few stay on, including the foreign minister and the master of liturgical ceremonies, who play a key role in assembling the conclave.

The conclave takes place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and cardinals are kept in strict isolation to keep them far from any outside influence from the rest of the world. This isolation is so important in the process that even the name conclave comes from the Latin “con clavis,” which means “with key,” indicating how the cardinal electors are locked up while they deliberate over who will be the new pope.

Gerhard Ludwig Cardinal Müller, right, during a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica. (Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance)

Once a cardinal receives a two-thirds majority of the votes, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he is willing to accept the position. If he accepts, he must then choose his papal name. Cardinal Jose Mario Bergoglio chose the name “Pope Francis,” becoming the first pope to choose this name.

After the world is alerted through the burning of white smoke, the new pope is announced with the most senior cardinal proclaiming “Habemus papam!” – “We have a pope” – after which the newly elected pontiff processes out and imparts his first blessing to the city of Rome and the rest of the world.