What makes a cardinal eligible to vote for pope

During this period all the cardinals - retirees included - will begin to discuss in strict secrecy the merits of likely candidates. The cardinals do not have to choose one of their own number - theoretically any baptised male Catholic can be elected pope - but tradition says that they will almost certainly give the job to a cardinal. The Vatican talks about the cardinals being guided by the Holy Spirit. But although open campaigning is forbidden, a papal election is still a highly political process.

The coalition-builders have about two weeks to forge alliances and senior cardinals who may themselves have little chance of becoming pope can still exert a considerable influence over the others. Secret conclave. The election of a pope is conducted in conditions of secrecy unique in the modern world. The cardinals are shut away in the Vatican until they reach agreement - the meaning of the word conclave indicating that they are literally locked up "with a key".

The election process can take days. In previous centuries it has gone on for weeks or months and some cardinals have even died during conclaves. The process is designed to prevent any of the details of the voting emerging, either during or after the conclave. The threat of excommunication hangs over anyone tempted to break this silence. But Benedict XVI changed the requirements back so that a two-thirds majority is required, meaning the man elected is likely to be a compromise candidate.

Before the voting begins in the Sistine Chapel, the entire area is checked by security experts to ensure there are no hidden microphones or cameras. Once the conclave has begun, the cardinals eat, vote and sleep within closed-off areas until a new pope has been chosen.

They are allowed no contact with the outside world - barring a medical emergency. All radios and television sets are removed, no newspapers or magazines are allowed in, and mobile phones are banned. Two doctors are allowed into the conclave, as well as priests who are able to hear confessions in various languages and housekeeping staff.

With these changing attitudes and developments of the papacy in mind, we will now look at how a pope is chosen. From about the s onwards, a new pope was chosen when the old one died. He announced that the reason behind his resignation was due to his declining health and old age.

This was an unexpected move and put into motion the process of selecting a new pope. This is done by first summoning the College of Cardinals to Rome whose responsibility it is to choose the next pope.

At current, there are over cardinals from 69 countries, with of them able to elect the next pope. This is thanks to a rule that was implemented in that excluded all cardinals over the age of 80 from voting. The Papal Conclave is a tremendous event, bringing together cardinals from across the world including Latin Americans, North Americans, Africans, Asians and one cardinal from Oceania.

During this time where there is no pope and the voting process is underway, the college of Cardinals act as head of the church, with the chamberlain overseeing the election process. According to John Paul II, these changes were made "with the intention of responding to the needs of the particular historical moment. Each rectangular paper ballot is inscribed at the top with the words Eligo in Summum Pontificem, meaning "I elect as supreme pontiff. The voting cardinal then folds the ballot twice, holds it in the air, and carries it the chapel's altar.

He says, "I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected. After bowing before the altar, he returns to his seat. Three scrutineers , who are selected by all of the cardinals, are charged with counting the ballots. Once the ballots are collected, the scrutineers count the ballots to determine if everyone has voted. If the number of ballots doesn't match the number of electors, the ballots are immediately burned and another vote is taken.

After each vote, the ballots and any notes regarding them are burned. Smoke from the burning of the ballots appears over the Vatican Palace. If no pope has been chosen, a chemical is applied to the ballots in order to create black smoke when burned. White smoke signals that a pope has been elected. The newly elected pope remains pontiff for life although there have been occasional resignations, such as Pope Benedict XVI in Eagerly awaiting the white smoke is one of the true joys of Catholicism, after Christmas and Stephen Colbert.

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