Explained: How Is A New Pope Chosen?
The Pope, leader of the Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome, is elected through a centuries-old process known as the Papal Conclave. After the resignation or death of the Pope, Roman Catholic cardinals from around the world are locked in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican to elect his successor in a secretive and highly symbolic process. Only cardinals below the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the process.
