One thing that I haven’t seen discussed anywhere about the papal voting procedure is what the criteria are for someone to be elected Pope. Does it require unanimity, or a simple majority, or what?
2/3rds on the first 30 or so ballots, a majority thereafter. It used to always be 2/3rds.
Thanks.
And as a bonus question, what if they don’t elect anyone within the time limit?
I don’t think there technically IS a time limit.
Huh. Maybe I was thinking of the time limit for the conclave to meet.
It’s a moot point, because a Pope was elected this morning, but Garfield is correct. The Cardinals stay there until they elect a Pope. Period.
And the rule that after 30-some ballots you switch from 2/3 to simple majority was a late amendment, precisely to cut down on the possibility of hung Conclaves.
The time limit that does exist is for the Conclave to begin: no less than 15 and no more than 20 days after the death of the late Pope.
I don’t think there is one. Apparently it took something like 2 or so years to elect one pope(though I’m not sure when or who that was).
It’s kind of like a trial. You can’t leave until a decision of some sort is made(but in a papal conclave, a hung jury doesn’t cut it).
If I may hijack, what are the criteria that someone must meet to become Pope?
Must be a cardinal, I assume?
Certain age?
anything else?
That has been discussed here repeatedly in the past few weeks; I don’t have the time now to do a search, but if you do you’ll easily find recent threads covering that. You definitely don’t have to be a cardinal to be eligible, although for hundreds of years no non-cardinal has been elected. You have to be male and Catholic, although some say it’s sufficient to be baptized. No age restrictions.