Have you ever wondered how a new pope is chosen? 🤔 Let’s take a fun and exciting journey inside the Vatican to discover this fascinating process! 🏰
What is the Vatican?
The Vatican City is a tiny country right in the heart of Rome, Italy. It’s the smallest country in the world and the headquarters of the Catholic Church. 🌍
The College of Cardinals
When it’s time to choose a new pope, a special group called the College of Cardinals comes together. These are important bishops from all over the world, and there are usually about 120 of them! They wear bright red robes and hats. 🎩
The Conclave Begins
The cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel, a beautiful room with amazing paintings by Michelangelo. 🖼️ They lock the doors to keep everything secret; this meeting is called a conclave, which means “with a key” in Latin! 🔑
The Voting Process
The cardinals vote up to four times a day. Each cardinal writes a name on a piece of paper, and they count the votes together. If someone gets at least two-thirds of the votes, they become the new pope! 🗳️
Smoke Signals
After each round of voting, they burn the ballots in a special stove. If no pope is chosen, they add chemicals to make the smoke black. If a new pope is elected, the smoke turns white! People waiting outside watch the chimney to see the color of the smoke. It’s like a secret code! 🔥
Habemus Papam!
When the white smoke appears, everyone cheers! 🎉 A cardinal then announces in Latin, “Habemus Papam!“, which means “We have a Pope!” The new pope steps out onto the balcony to greet everyone for the first time. 😊
Choosing a Papal Name
The new pope chooses a special name that they’ll be known by during their time as pope. For example, our current pope chose the name Francis. 🌟
A New Beginning
And that’s how a new pope is elected! It’s a mix of tradition, secrecy, and a lot of excitement. Now you know the secrets behind this ancient ritual! 🕊️
If you ever visit Rome, you might get a chance to see the Vatican and imagine this incredible process happening right there! ✈️
Reference(s):
Chinese Catholic organizations congratulate elected new pope
cgtn.com
