How are new Popes chosen?

[tek]

Rock, paper, scissors? Short straw? 2 out of 3 falls?

[BCPVP]

No-holds-barred death match.

[Chairman Wood]

I'm not exactly sure, you should look this up and I believe it is almost any encyclopedia. But all the cardinals of the world meet at the Vatican. It is a somewhat secret process but they debate and try nominate people and try to swing votes. After a long period of time, there is a vote done in a ballot box. I believe a 2/3 majority is needed. If that is not obtained they repeat the process. I know one thing, Catholic law states that any Catholic male can elected pope. Doesn't need to be a cardinal. However, that may have never occured and probably will never occur. If it has occured it would have been in the very early days before the position of Cardinal may have existed.

[JoshuaD]

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I know one thing, Catholic law states that any Catholic male can elected pope.

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I'm taking a trip to the vatican. First Atheist pope. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Chairman Wood]

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I'm taking a trip to the vatican. First Atheist pope.

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You would still need to be Catholic, so you're disqualified. Yeah, when I read that for the first time I was like whoa, I'm so gonna be pope.

[El Barto]

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conclave)

A lot of people don't realize that Kings and other leaders used to select the Pope. The cardinal selection system is only about 1000 years old.

[Talk2BigSteve]

I am not catholic but I would have to choose Giovanni Battista as the next pope.

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[benfranklin]

The Pope is chosen by the Electoral College of Cardinals. Each Cardinal gets only one vote, even though some of them have very large congregations while others are small.

For some time now, the people in the large congregations (the Blue Churches) have been trying to abolish the Electoral College of Cardinals because they think that it is unfair, and the Pope should be elected by popular vote. While there are a smaller number of Catholics who want to keep this system (the Red Churches), they have more Cardinals, and the system continues. They point out that the only Pope ever elected by popular vote, Pope Chad I, was immediately hung by the Vatican Supreme Court when the Florence Secretary of State invalidated the election results.

As a historical note, a little known plank of John Kerry's platform in 2004 was that it was not fair that only Cardinals got to vote for Pope, and that Red Sox should get to vote too. When reporters asked Teresa Heinz-you-doesn't-have-to-call-me-Kerry to comment on whether Pirates should have a vote also, she told them to shove it.

[MelchyBeau]

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As a historical note, a little known plank of John Kerry's platform in 2004 was that it was not fair that only Cardinals got to vote for Pope, and that Red Sox should get to vote too. When reporters asked Teresa Heinz-you-doesn't-have-to-call-me-Kerry to comment on whether Pirates should have a vote also, she told them to shove it.


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I'm sorry, Was this post supposed to be funny?

Melch

[gasgod]

Jesse Jackson will probably show up to mediate the selection process.


GG

[Gamblor]

The Pope is chosen by the Electoral College of Cardinals

I recommend the catholics hire an independent monitor for the florida ballot.

[vulturesrow]

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I'm sorry, Was this post supposed to be funny?

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I dont know if it was supposed to be, but it was. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[HDPM]

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I'm taking a trip to the vatican. First Atheist pope. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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Doubtful.

You ever read short bios of some of the popes back in the day?

[Zeno]

The Holy Process of choosing God's diplomat to Earthlings is outline in this link

Democracy in Action (http://www.scmo.org.uk/_holy_father/Election.asp)

Other information
Yadda (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1178910.stm)

and Yadda (http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050108-011959-1819r.htm)

-Zeno

[JDErickson]

Last time this happened I remember they were all meeting and they let everyone know by a different colored smoke coming from the room.

This is what I found:

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In the event that the position of the Holy Roman Pontiff falls vacant it becomes the responsibility of the College of Cardinals to elect a new Pontiff. This is a process that has gone on for centuries and over the years changes have been made to ensure that the election goes both smoothly and quickly. There are strict guidelines that need to be followed and there are numerous traditions and rituals that take place.

The period from when the Pope dies until a new Pope is elected the Cardinal Camerlengo is responsible for the government of the Church. The Camerlengo is also responsible for verifying that the Pope is in fact dead. This is done by performing a Medieval ritual, which consists of the Camerlengo lightly striking the head of the dead pope three times with a silver mallet. Each time he does so he calls out to the pope by his birth name. When there is no response an announcement is made to all those who are present that the pope is dead. The fisherman's ring and the papal seals are then broken. The Camerlengo's main responsibilities are to prepare for the funeral and burial of the pope as well as make all the arrangements for the election of a new pope.

Within 15-20 days after the death of the pope the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, excluding those Cardinals who are 80 years of age or older prior to the pope's death, enter the Conclave to elect a new pope. The total number of Cardinals can not exceed 120 and the conclave is held within the Vatican City.

In the past the conclave was sealed and everyone was forced to live within the confines of the area. The conclave was not designed to hold 120 people. The idea was to make the area uncomfortable so that there would not be a long period of time before a new Pope was elected. The conclave was introduced in the 13th century by Pope Gregory X, who was elected nearly three years after Pope Clement IV died. By sealing them off from the world the Cardinals would be protected from outside interference and thus speed the process of electing a new pope.

When the next pope is to be elected the Cardinals will be allowed to stay in the hotel-like residence of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, which is just a short distance from the Sistine Chapel. They still will be prohibited from talking with anyone outside the conclave. They will not be allowed to watch television, read the newspaper or talk on the telephone. All necessary measures will be taken to ensure they are protected when they make the trip from the hotel to the Sistine Chapel and the conclave itself will be checked for listening devices.

Balloting will take place inside the Sistine Chapel. There have been some changes to the balloting process over the centuries. In 1179 Pope Alexander III made it that a two thirds majority of the votes was needed in order to be elected pope. This rule stayed in effect until 1945 when Pope Pius XII changed it to two thirds plus one. Pope John Paul II made another change to this rule in his Universi Dominici Gregis in 1996. If after 30 elections have taken place and no one received two thirds of the vote a new pope can be elected by absolute majority, which is half of the votes plus one. After each ballot has been counted they are burned in the stove. Onlookers await for the smoke to come out of the chimney. If the smoke is black then a new pope has not been elected. If the smoke is white the election is over and a new pontiff has been chosen. Once a new Pontiff has been chosen the Dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts the position and by what name he would like to be referred to. If he agrees he becomes the next Holy Roman Pontiff. After all of the Cardinals present express their devotion to the new Pope he is taken to change into the papal vestment. Once he is ready he will make his journey to the main balcony of the Vatican where he will deliver his apostolic blessing.

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[Drunk Bob]

I don't guess that anyone is interested in the fact that Jerry Falwell is seriously ill?

[Talk2BigSteve]

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I don't guess that anyone is interested in the fact that Jerry Falwell is seriously ill?

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I was very interested, I even posted about it.

Here is my link Poor Jerry Falwell (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=exchange&Number=203679 2&Forum=,All_Forums,&Words=&Searchpage=1&Limit=25& Main=2036792&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=18614& daterange=1&newerval=1&newertype=w&olderval=&older type=&bodyprev=#Post2036792)

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[MMMMMM]

^

[Kaz The Original]

Amateurs. It is quite clearly musical pope hat.

[masse75]

My choice for the next Pontiff....

http://www.moralminority.org/graphics/mm/fatherguid-1.jpg

[Beerfund]

Was the whole thing a joke? Cuz I googled "Pope Chad I" and this is all I found.

Bad Pope (http://cityofmitchell.org/sexoffender/safety/sexoffender/pope.dwt)

[Talk2BigSteve]

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My choice for the next Pontiff....

http://www.moralminority.org/graphics/mm/fatherguid-1.jpg

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I had you beat with this idea by hours!! Nice Try!!

Father Guido Sarducci (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=2058678&page=&view=&s b=5&o=)

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[benfranklin]

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Was the whole thing a joke? Cuz I googled "Pope Chad I" and this is all I found.

Bad Pope (http://cityofmitchell.org/sexoffender/safety/sexoffender/pope.dwt)

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Pope Chad + "was hung" = hanging chads /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif

The assembly of Catholic Cardinals is actually known as the College of Cardinals.

John Kerry is actually abysmally ignorant of sports, and tries to be one of the guys.

Teresa Heinz is actually the wicked witch of the east.

[masse75]

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My choice for the next Pontiff....

http://www.moralminority.org/graphics/mm/fatherguid-1.jpg

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I had you beat with this idea by hours!! Nice Try!!

Father Guido Sarducci (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=2058678&page=&view=&s b=5&o=)

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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That's awesome, Steve. How about getting out of the house every once in a while? Read a book...talk to a pretty girl.

[Talk2BigSteve]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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My choice for the next Pontiff....

http://www.moralminority.org/graphics/mm/fatherguid-1.jpg

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I had you beat with this idea by hours!! Nice Try!!

Father Guido Sarducci (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=2058678&page=&view=&s b=5&o=)

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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That's awesome, Steve. How about getting out of the house every once in a while? Read a book...talk to a pretty girl.

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LOL I do get out the house. Last night I went to the club, and if you were named John, or Paul, or were the II you got in free. I had to play $7 cover since I am just...

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[tek]

I think the next pope will be Doyle Brunson /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[lastchance]

This is sheer gold.

[vulturesrow]

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I think the next pope will be Doyle Brunson /images/graemlins/grin.gif

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I thought Doyle was dead? /images/graemlins/laugh.gif