Choosing a Pope: What REALLY Happens During a Conclave | What Catholics Believe
Suggested Content for Monday
•
10-Dec-2025
Join Dr. Scott Hefelfinger in What Catholics Believe as he answers some of the most asked questions about how Catholics choose a new pope. What is a papal conclave? How does the voting process work? Can someone who isn’t a cardinal become pope? Why are cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel? Learn the fascinating traditions, rules, and the role of the Holy Spirit in the election of a pope.
Topics covered in this episode:
00:00 – Introduction
00:21 – What is a papal conclave?
00:38 – What is a cardinal?
01:04 – How is a new pope chosen?
02:25 – How the voting process works
03:17 – What happens if no candidate receives enough votes?
04:29 – Can a non-cardinal be elected pope?
04:55 – Why are cardinals locked inside the Sistine Chapel?
05:49 – Why only cardinals elect the pope
06:58 – How the world is informed during a conclave
07:28 – Meaning behind the black and white smoke signals
08:26 – The role of the Holy Spirit in electing a pope
09:11 – The legitimacy and authority of a new pope
09:38 – What happens after a new pope is chosen
10:27 – How Catholics can participate during a conclave
▶ Watch Eternal Rest on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/770628
▶ The Pope | What Catholics Believe: https://watch.formed.org/videos/the-pope-what-catholics-believe
▶ Pray for the conclave: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/1136410
▶ Learn more about the Pope on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/867032
Up Next in Suggested Content for Monday
-
The Jesse Tree EXPLAINED – The (Not) ...
Everyone knows what a Christmas tree is. But have you heard of a Jesse tree?
The often-forgotten Jesse tree reminds us of God’s faithful fulfillment of all his promises (of which there are so many throughout all of salvation history!). In Christ, he keeps every promise he has made, from Adam an...
-
Counting Down to Christmas – Celebrat...
What is Advent, anyway? A countdown to Christmas? Mini-Lent? Sweater season? An acceptable excuse to eat 24 tiny chocolates out of 24 tiny compartments?
In this episode of How to Advent, we learn about why Advent is a season of longing as well as hope – and how Advent calendars have anything to...
-
Saint Martin de Porres
With humble faith and love for others, Martin served God wholeheartedly, and through his kindness and prayers, miracles began to happen!
The “God’s Knights” series tells the true stories of brave men and boys who followed God with courage and faith and are now honored as mighty knights in God’...
5 Comments