The Papal Conclave, a time-honored tradition that determines the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics, traces its roots deep into medieval Europe. What we now recognize as the modern Conclave was born of necessity in the 13th century—to eliminate prolonged vacancies on the papal throne and insulate the election process from worldly interference.
The word Conclave originates from the Latin cum clavis, meaning "with a key," aptly describing both the locked room where cardinals gather and the spiritual gravity of their task. The practice was formally codified in 1274 by Pope Gregory X, who sought to prevent the chaos he himself experienced during his election after a nearly three-year deadlock in Viterbo from 1268 to 1271—the longest in Church history. Legend holds that the frustrated citizens of Viterbo walled in the indecisive cardinals, an act that spurred the eventual creation of the Conclave system.
The 76th Conclave in its current form is set to begin on May 7, aiming to choose the 267th pontiff. It will also mark the 26th time that the Sistine Chapel—beneath Michelangelo’s stirring fresco of The Last Judgment—hosts this sacred ritual.
Though foundational changes were made by Pope Nicholas II in 1059, restricting the electorate to cardinals through the Bull In nomine Domini, it was Pope Alexander III’s Constitution Licet de vitanda in 1179 that introduced the enduring two-thirds majority requirement. Gregory X’s later decree Ubi periculum ensured future electors would be secluded from outside influence, locked "with a key" until consensus was reached.
Arezzo, Tuscany, became the stage for the first official Conclave in 1276, where Pope Innocent V was elected. Over centuries, the process evolved: Pope Gregory XV mandated written, secret ballots in 1621, and Pope Pius X abolished the "right of exclusion" claimed by certain Catholic monarchs in 1904, reinforcing secrecy within the Conclave.
The 20th century brought further reforms. Pope Pius XII, in 1945, introduced regulations that suspended the authority of all Vatican officials during a sede vacante—except the Camerlengo and a few key positions. Later, Pope St. Paul VI limited voting eligibility to cardinals under 80 years of age through his Motu Proprio Ingravescentem Aetatem.
Though the Sistine Chapel has become the enduring home of the Conclave since 1878, earlier papal elections were held in various locations—including 15 outside Rome and a few beyond Italy, like the Conclaves of 1314–16 in France and 1415–17 in Germany. It was Pope St. John Paul II, through Universi Dominici Gregis, who canonically designated the Sistine Chapel—known poetically as the “Via Pulchritudinis” or “Way of Beauty”—as the official venue for future Conclaves.
The length of papal elections has varied dramatically. While the election of Pope Gregory X took over two years, Pope Julius II’s in 1503 lasted mere hours. Pope Francis, elected in March 2013, ascended to the papacy after just five ballots within two days.
Traditionally, the new Pope appears before the world on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica within an hour of the white smoke rising—a visible symbol of divine decision. Though Popes are usually chosen from among cardinals, it is not a formal requirement. The last exception was Urban VI in 1378.
As the Church prepares to open the doors to its 76th Conclave in this sacred tradition, the world waits once again to see who will wear the white robes of the Fisherman’s Successor.