There duration of a conclave – the session necessary to elect the new pope – is variablefrom one to several daysup to a Maximum of nine. The new Pope, in fact, is officially elected when they reach At least two thirds of the votes or, after nine days, with one “playoff“Between the two cardinals who have obtained the most votes in the last vote, it is therefore not possible to estimate the duration in advance. In the past there have been very short elections, a few hoursand very long, of over a thousand days. To elect Pope Francisin 2013, were needed five voteswhich took place in less than 27 hours. The election of Pope Benedict XV In 2005, however, he saw necessary Only four voteswhich took place in about 24 hours.
Because the effective duration of the conclave is variable
The cardinal voters, members of the Sacred College of Cardinals under 80 years, vote for the name of the cardinal who intends present as a new pope. The vote takes place behind closed doors in the frame of the Sistine Chapel. The vote is repeated until at least i two thirds Of the cardinals present they did not vote for the same name, which will therefore be elected as a new pontiff. At the end of each vote, the cards are burned: if the two thirds have not reached an agreement from their burning, the black smokeif the agreement is reached there will be the white smoke accompanied by the famous sentence “Annunio Vobis Gaudium Magnum: Habemus Papam!“.
In the past, the conclave could last weeksif not integers: a term was then introduced which provides that if after nine days An agreement is not reached, we move on to a single final vote Between the two cardinals who obtained the most votes in the last “round”.
The shortest conclave in history in 1503
In October 1503 he died Pope Pius III and the November 1st of the same year, after a conclave that lasted only 10 hoursis elected Pope Julius IIborn Giuliano della Rovere. His pontificate was one of the most famous and glorious in modern history: Julius II, in fact, founded the Vatican Museums and the Swiss guardstarted the construction of the Basilica of San Pietroand was a supporter of the works of Michelangelo and Raffaello.
The longest conclave in history lasted 33 months
At the Death of Pope Clement IVwhich took place on 29 November 1268the cardinals meet to elect the new pontiff: due to strong differences, an agreement will not be found for well 33 months, 1006 Giornalethe. The new Pope Gregory Xborn Tedaldo Visconti, only the September 1, 1271.
This conclave was held to Viterbo Because, at the time, the election took place in the cathedral of the city where the previous Pope had died: after the votes, the cardinals returned to their residences in the city and neighboring areas. But given that time passed and make agreements it became more complex, the Viterbo, exasperated by the situation, rose several times, and the management and political problems became increasingly acute. The decision was therefore made to locate the voters in the Papal palace of Viterbo: for this, the Conclave that leads to the election of Gregory X It is considered the first in a modern sense, because for the first time the cardinals are all locked up in the same place, Clausi Cum Clave“closed with the key“.
