Papal Succession: How A College Of Cardinals Will Choose the Next Pope
The Catholic Church is preparing for a transition that will determine its direction for the foreseeable future with the passing of Pope Francis.
A papal conclave will be held within the next two to three weeks to elect the new Pope, who will become the leader of the Catholic Church.
The College of Cardinals, composed of those under 80 years old, will vote in secret ballots inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.
A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pope and if no consensus is reached, additional rounds of voting will continue until a candidate emerges with the needed majority support.
When a round of voting does not reach consensus, ballots are burned, and the black smoke that appears from the Sistine Chapel chimney signals to those watching on television and in St. Peter’s Square that the conclave continues.
When white smoke appears, a new pope has been chosen.
High-ranking Cardinals Peter Turkson (Ghana), Pietro Parolin (Italy), Peter Erdő (Hungary), Angelo Scola (Italy), and Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines) have emerged as top contenders for the Papal position.
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