Consistory, conclave and new cardinals: What you should know

What is the College of Cardinals, a consistory and a conclave? We explain these terms at the doors of the next consistory that will be held in Rome on Saturday, December 7.

The College of Cardinals

Cardinals of the Catholic Church They form the so-called “College of Cardinals”a body that brings together all the cardinals created by the Pope and whose main mission is to provide for the election of a new Pontiff in the event of a conclave.

According to Canon Law, the cardinals of the College of Cardinals must assist the Roman Pontiff “collegially, when they are summoned to discuss together issues of more importance.”

Also they must do it personally“through the different offices they perform, helping above all the Pope in his daily government of the Universal Church.”

Voters and non-voters

All cardinals are part of this peculiar group, which in turn is divided into two: the cardinal electors and the non-elector cardinals.

The electors are those who, on the day the Vacant See begins – when the Pope dies or resigns -, They are less than 80 years oldwhich means that they can participate in the election of the new Pope and also assume the government of the Church.

Non-elector cardinals are, therefore, those who have reached the age of 80 and do not participate in a possible conclave.

After the next consistory, the College of Cardinals will be made up of 253 cardinals, of which 140 are electors and 113 will not be able to vote in a possible conclave.

Consistory

A consistory is the meeting of the College of Cardinals called by the Pope to help him in the government of the Catholic Church.

Additionally, cardinals are created in consistories, where future cardinals gather in St. Peter’s Basilica, profess the Creed, and then approach the Pope one by one dressed in red robes.

The Holy Father gives each one a red biretta and the cardinal’s ring, symbols of his cardinal creation.

Subsequently, the Pope assigns each cardinal a Church of Rome, what is known as “Title” or “Diakonia”as a symbol of their participation in the Pope’s pastoral care for the city.

From that moment, the new cardinals can now form part of the congregations and dicasteries of the Vatican, also obtaining the ability to help the Pope govern the Church.

Ordinary and extraordinary consistory

Extraordinary consistories are those that the Pope convenes in particular cases, where all the cardinals of the Catholic Church are called to participate. The last extraordinary session took place on August 27, 2022.

On the other hand, an ordinary consistory is held when the Pope needs the advice of the cardinals on some important issue or to give solemnity to the Pontiff’s decision, such as, for example, the approval of the canonization of saints.

The conclave

The conclave is the assembly of the cardinals gathered for the election of the Roman Pontiff.

After the death or resignation of a Pope, a period called the Vacant See begins. During this period the principle of nihil innovetur (nothing is innovated) governs.

The government of the Church is entrusted to the College of Cardinals only for the dispatch of ordinary matters or those that cannot be postponed, and for the preparation of everything necessary for the election of the new Pontiff.

When does the conclave start?

The cardinals must meet in a conclave for the election of the new Pope 15 days after the vacancy of the Apostolic See, although the College of Cardinals may establish another date, which cannot be delayed more than 20 days from the vacancy.

Venue

The usual place for the conclave is the Sistine Chapel, inside the Vatican. Although in the 19th century the conclaves were held in the Quirinal Palace in Rome.

The last conclave held outside Rome was in Venicein March 1800, after the death of Pius VI, since Rome was occupied by Napoleonic troops and it was decided to hold the conclave outside the reach of the French army.

The vote

On the day chosen for the conclave, the cardinal electors first celebrate a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

That same day in the afternoon, they go in procession to the Sistine Chapel, where they take a solemn oath as soon as they arrive.

Subsequently, Cardinal Camerlengo, helped from outside by the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, ensures that the election of the Pope is carried out with the necessary reserve and discretion.

Election by ballot, the only currently valid method, It takes place through individual and secret voting by the cardinal electors.

Two votes must be taken each day, in addition to one vote the afternoon the conclave begins. For the election to be valid, it must have two-thirds of the votes.

If after 24 ballots the cardinals cannot agree on the chosen cardinal, they may decide by absolute majority how to proceed, but the requirement of requiring a simple majority for the election to be valid must never be dispensed with.

After each election the ballots are burned. Tradition indicates that the cardinals use dry or wet straw to cause the smoke to be black, if the Pope has not been elected, or white if the new Roman Pontiff has been elected.

This causes the well-known black smoke or white smokewhich the faithful usually see from San Pedro Square.