Explainer: How is a new pope chosen?

Choosing a new Pope is a highly secretive process, and the world only knows when the famous white smoke comes out of a chimney at the Sistine chapel which starts celebration among the 1.4 billion Catholics.

The election itself takes place only after the burial of the deceased pope. This raises a key question: who chooses the pope, and how does the process unfold?

The responsibility lies with the College of Cardinals—senior clerics who serve as the pope’s closest advisors and oversee key functions within the Vatican and dioceses worldwide. When a pope dies or resigns, only those cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave, the highly secretive gathering held in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new leader from among themselves.

The cardinals will determine the date for the conclave once they begin arriving in Rome over the coming days. The number and composition of the electors reflect the legacy of the preceding pontiff, as only a pope has the authority to appoint cardinals. Consequently, the ideological and pastoral leanings of a pope’s appointees can influence the direction of the Church long after his tenure.

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As of April 21, there were 252 cardinals in total, with 135 under the age of 80 and thus eligible to vote. Of these, 109 were appointed by Pope Francis, 22 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 5 by Pope John Paul II.

Cardinals are formally appointed during ceremonies known as consistories, during which they receive a red biretta—a square cap—along with a ring, and pledge absolute loyalty to the pope. The color red symbolizes their willingness to defend the faith, even to the point of martyrdom.

Who are possible candidates?

Any baptized Roman Catholic male is eligible to be pope, but since 1378, only cardinals have been selected. Some current leading candidates:

1. Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy, 70, Francis’ secretary of state and a veteran Vatican diplomat.
2. Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada, 80, head of the Vatican’s bishops office from 2010 to 2023.
3. Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Austria, 80, a student of Pope Benedict XVI, and thus ostensibly having appeal for conservatives.
4. Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines, 67, brought by Francis to head the Vatican’s massive missionary office.
5. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Italy, 69, a Francis protégé who headed the Italian bishops conference.