What is the process for the selection of a new Pope?

Sworn to a vow of secrecy and isolated from the world, it is now up to the Cardinals to hold elections to choose the next Pope, who will lead more than one billion Catholics around the world.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Maki Pulido, the “Novemdiales” or nine days of mourning will follow the late Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday.

After the period of mourning, the cardinals who are eligible to cast their vote will convene at the Sistine chapel where the secretive process of selecting the new Pope will take place - the conclave.

“Pinag-iisipan nila at pinagninilay-nilayan ano na yung estado ngayon ng mundo, ano na ang misyon ng Simbahan sa ngayon, at anong uri ng Santo Papa ang kakailanganin para mamuno sa Simbahan sa panahon ngayon,” said San Carlos Seminary Professor Fr. Joseph Don Saldivar.

(They will think and reflect on the current state of the world, what is the current mission of the Church, and what kind of Pope is needed to lead the Church at this period.)

The Conclave

The College of Cardinals will enter into a “conclave” or an election for the next Pope after the Novemdiales ends.

“Ang conclave ay hindi ito katulad ng eleksyon sa Pilipinas, na may bigaya ng ayuda, may kampanya, may alyansa," Zaldivar said.

(The conclave is not like the elections in the Philippines, where financial assistance will be given, campaigns will be held, or alliances formed.)

"If you look at the conclave, it's actually an extended prayer,” he added.

The conclave will take place after the Novemdiales, which is between May 6 and 12, 2025.

There is a total of 252 cardinals at this time.

However, only 135 are Cardinal-electors, who are not older than 80 years of age.

The word "Conclave" is from the Latin words cum clave, which means with a key. This is so with the conclave in which the cardinals will enter the room and will be locked inside and isolated within the Sistine Chapel where they will hold the secret selection.

Cubao Diocese Spokesperson Fr. Aris Sison said the Cardinal-electors have to practice a "vow of secrecy."

“One of the first things na ginagawa ng mga kardinal is to make a vow of secrecy. So lahat ng mga lumalabas na balita under pain of Papal punishment. Halimbawa, ako, pari ako, tapos if I violate that vow, pwede akong tanggalan ng, for example, ng faculty na magmisa,” he added.

(One of the first things being done by cardinals is to make a vow of secrecy. All the news that will be leaked are under the pain of papal punishment, For example, me as a priest violating that vow may be penalized with, for example, removal of my faculty to hold mass.)

The cardinals, wearing their worship vestments, will vote up to 4 times in a day.

" I think there are discussions, but definitely there’s no campaigning," Sison said.

The new Pope to be elected must gain 2/3 of all the votes or at least 92 votes of the cardinals.

“Isa-isa sila, they will go in front of the altar and then drop their ballot in a container. There are three cardinals who are assigned to scrutinize the votes. Babasahin ng pangatlo kung sino. Tinutuhog, tinutuhog yung mga balota… After that, i-announce yung na-tally,” Sison shared.

(One-by-one, they will go in front of the altar and then drop their ballot in a container. There are three cardinals who are assigned to scrutinize the votes. The third will read who it is. The ballots are sewn together… After that, the tally will be announced.)

“’Yung balota ng bawat kardinal kung saan isinusulat nila yung pangalan nung binoto nila, binibilang tapos sinusunog. ‘Yung pinagsunugan noon, yun ang lumalabas na smoke dun sa chimney ng Sistine Chapel,” Sison said.

(The ballot of each cardinal, where they have written the names of who they voted for, are counted then burnt. The smoke from that is the smoke that comes out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.)

Smoke from the chimney will serve as the sign of the outcome of the votes cast by the cardinals.

The black smoke indicating that there was no Pope elected and white smoke indicating there was a new Pope.

The election of a new Pope will be announced with the words “Habemus Papam,” which is Latin for “we have a new Pope.”

Selection of the next Pope

“Ang paghirang ng Santo Papa ay hindi makataong politika, kundi hinihirang ng Espiritu Santo," said Zaldivar.

"So it's the Holy Spirit that leads the minds and the hearts of the Cardinals towards the selection of the new Pope. Itong panahon ngayon ng Novemdiales, ipagdasal natin mga Kardinal,” added Zaldivar.

(So it’s the Holy Spirit that leads the minds and the hearts of the Cardinals towards the selection of the new Pope. This period of the Novemdiales, we should pray for the cardinals.) — Jiselle Anne Casucian/BAP, GMA Integrated News