With the Papal Conclave approaching, here are some must-know facts about this historic event

The papal conclave will be held for the first time since 2013 to elect the new pope, with the College of Cardinals scheduled to gather in the Vatican City on May 7 for a highly secretive voting process that lasts for an unpredictable amount of time. The longest papal conclave in the Catholic Church's history lasted for 1,006 days, or nearly three years. That session was held in the 13th Century to elect the successor of Pope Clement IV.

On the other hand, the shortest time that the College of Cardinals spent choosing a new bishop of Rome was just a few hours, when it elected Pope Julius II to lead the Catholic Church in 1503. It was likely the quickest papal election under the current system that requires the observance of a waiting period following a papal vacancy.

Papal Conclave: How long does it last?

In modern times, it is common for papal conclaves to last for multiple days. None of the last 10 sessions have exceeded five days, with the average duration of each of them being 2-3 days, Reuters noted. According to the news agency, Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez has boldly predicted that the upcoming papal conclave won't exceed three days.


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What is the College of Cardinals?

Though the institution itself is composed of all Cardinals of the Catholic Church, only the members who are aged below 80 at the time of the latest papal vacancy are allowed to participate in electing the new bishop of Rome. The number of eligible Cardinals for the election of Pope Francis's successor is 135. As a whole, the current strength of the College of Cardinals stands at 252.

Papal Conclave process

The upcoming papal conclave will kick off at the Sistine Chapel on May 7. The voting extends to as many rounds as it takes for one of the candidates to secure a two-thirds majority. The ballots are set ablaze after every second round. The smoke from the fire is used to communicate the Cardinals' decision to the outside world.

The ballots are burned in a special furnace. The colour of the smoke, which depends upon the combination of chemical compounds used to light the fire, indicates the outcome. While white smoke indicates successful election of the new pope, black smoke indicates that no decision has been reached yet.

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FAQs

1 . When will the papal conclave start?
The upcoming papal conclave for the election of Pope Francis's election is set to kick off on May 7.

2 . What does the colour of the smoke used by the papal conclave indicate?
While white smoke is used to communicate to the outside world that a new pope has been successfully chosen, black smoke indicates that the process will last longer.