Pope Francis’ death on April 21 has triggered an intense debate about who will succeed him as the head of the Catholic Church. On May 7, cardinals from around the world will gather at the Sistine Chapel to elect the next Pope in a highly secretive and historic process.
Here are some surprising facts about Papal conclaves:
The longest conclave lasted almost three years, with no fixed time limit for voting. Previous record holders include a conclave that lasted 1,006 days in 1268 and another that went on for 15 months in 1415-17.
To prevent secret messaging, cardinals will be on a strict diet during the voting process. In the past, messages were hidden in food coming into the Sistine Chapel. This year, nuns will prepare local dishes like lamb skewers and spaghetti for the cardinals.
A new Pope is announced when white smoke rises from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel after every round of votes. If a majority is not met, the ballot papers are burned with potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulfur to create black smoke.
The conclave typically draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to Rome, with flight searches to the city surging by 345% from the US and 1000% from Mexico. The next Pope does not have to be a cardinal, although it’s extremely rare for someone outside the order to be elected.
Only Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave, which starts on May 7 with 133 cardinals voting at the Sistine Chapel. Eligible cardinals can choose not to participate if they wish.
Source: https://time.com/7282265/papal-conclaves-surprising-facts-history