The transition from one Pope to another can be a mystifying moment for those who are not familiar with the functioning of the Roman Catholic Church – and even for some who are.
The process is governed by secular rules and traditions that derive from their vocabulary, largely in Latin. It is likely that the election of a new pope will take place over weeks or months while a small group of Catholic prelates decides on the next leader of a global flock of over a billion faithful.
With the first papal transition in more than a decade in progress after the death of Pope Francis, who was put at rest on Saturday, here are some terms to know:
Conclave
This is the meeting of the Cardinals, who will begin next month, which will elect the next Pope. The word derives from the Latin “with the key” and refers to the isolation imposed on men (and have always been men) while they make their decision within the Vatican. They cannot leave the conclave except in rare cases and the phones, the Internet and the newspapers are not allowed.
The cardinals vote by secret vote until they reach a majority of two thirds and a new pope is elected. The process was recently dramatized in the film “Conclave”, which according to papal experts presented a fairly accurate representation. (The New York Times wrote on some of the possible contenders.)
College of Cardinals
The cardinals, known as the “principles of the Church”, are the highest Catholic prelates of the ranking and together they are known as the College of Cardinals. There are 252 cardinals, named by the Pope to help him and recommend it on the affairs of the Church and when a pope dies, he falls to college to choose a successor.
The word cardinal comes from the Latin “Cardinalis”, which means “to act as a hinge”.
The group is led by a dean, a position currently covered by Giovanni Battista Re, a 91 -year -old Italian who has spent most of his career in service in the Roman Curia. He will preside over the meetings that lead to the conclave but will not participate in the gathering, since only cardinals under the age of 80 will be entitled to vote for Pope.
Chamberlain
The Camerlengo, appointed by the Pope before his death, is a cardinal who administers the Vatican from the moment when the Pope dies until a successor is elected and who supervises many tasks of the transition.
His duties include the removal of the pope's ceremonial ring – known as the fisherman's ring – after his death, sealing his study and his bedroom and preside over his internment.
The Italian word comes from the medieval Latin “Camarlingus”, which means Chamberlain. The position is currently covered by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, a 77 -year -old American born in Ireland.
Vacant
This is the period between the pontiffs and comes from a Latin phrase that means “the seat is empty”. During this period, with the Camerlengo that acts as a de facto administrator of the Vatican, the College of Cardinals maintains the general supervision of the Church, but it is not allowed to make important decisions.
The longest vacant location, according to the historian Salvador Miranda, was more than two years and seven months, the result of the struggle between French and Italian factions of the cardinals and ended in 1271 with the election of Gregory X.
White smoke
After the voting round in the conclave, the cards are burned. Wasps of smoke emerge from a fireplace above the Sistine chapel and the spectators who gather out watch for a sign that the cardinals made a decision.
If the smoke is black color, it means that they are blocked. White smoke means that a new pope was elected. Chemicals are used to change the color, although in 2005 the Vatican also began to play the bells of the Basilica of San Pietro to confirm that a decision had been made.
“Dad”
When a new pope is chosen, he emerges, dressed with a white tunic, on a balcony of the Basilica of San Pietro. A Senior Cardinal is with him and proclaims “Habemus Papam”, a Latin phrase that means: “We have a pope”.