When a pope dies, an important process begins to choose the next one. The leader of the cardinals (called the Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals) invites all cardinals under the age of 80 to come to the Vatican. Right now, there are 135 cardinals who can vote, but in 1996, Pope John Paul II said that only 120 should be allowed to take part.

This special meeting to choose a pope is called a "conclave." It usually starts 15 to 20 days after the pope dies. But if all the cardinals arrive in Rome quickly, it can begin sooner.

The conclave takes place in the Sistine Chapel. Each cardinal gets a piece of paper called a ballot. On it, they write the name of the person they choose to be the new pope. Above the name, they write in Latin: "Eligo in Summum Pontificem," which means "I elect as supreme pontiff."

In theory, any Roman Catholic man can become pope, but for over 600 years, every pope has been chosen from the cardinals.

After writing the name, each cardinal walks to the altar one by one, in order of seniority, and puts their folded ballot into a large cup (called a chalice). The votes are counted, and the results are announced to the cardinals.

To win, a person must get two-thirds of the votes.

The cardinals can vote up to four times a day – two times in the morning and two in the afternoon – for the first four days. If no one is chosen, they take a break for prayer and discussion on the fifth day. Then, they start voting again. This can continue for several more rounds.

How Do People Know a New Pope Has Been Chosen?

People all over the world watch a special chimney on the roof of the Vatican during this time. This is how they know the result of each vote.

After each round of voting, the ballots are burned. If no pope has been chosen, a chemical is added to the fire to make the smoke black. Black smoke means “no pope yet.”

But if a pope has been chosen, the ballots are burned without the black smoke chemical. This makes white smoke. White smoke means a new pope has been elected! This can happen as late as 13 days after the conclave starts.

When the white smoke appears, it means the chair of the pope – which was empty – is now filled again.