POPE LEO XIV
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When the world’s cardinals gather to elect a new pope, the event is known as a conclave — a word that sparks curiosity, even among lifelong Catholics. Derived from the Latin cum clave, meaning “with a key,” the term literally refers to being locked in. And that’s not metaphorical. For centuries, cardinals have been physically locked inside a secure space — traditionally the Sistine Chapel — until a decision is reached. The intention? To prevent outside influence and political pressure, ensuring the election is shaped by prayer, not persuasion.
This dramatic procedure has its roots in a real crisis. After Pope Clement IV died in 1268, the cardinals were unable to agree on a successor. The impasse dragged on for nearly three years in the town of Viterbo, Italy, (the longest impasse in Church history).
Frustrated by the delay, the townspeople took matters into their own hands: they locked the cardinals in the papal palace, cut off their lavish meals, and even removed the roof of the building to expose them to the weather. The tactic worked. In 1271, they finally elected Teobaldo Visconti, who became Pope Gregory X.
Deeply shaped by this chaotic experience, the new pope moved quickly to formalize the election process.
In 1274, during the Second Council of Lyon, he issued the decree Ubi periculum (“Where there is danger”), establishing the first official papal conclave. It set clear rules: cardinals would be sequestered, communication with the outside world forbidden, and living conditions gradually reduced if a decision wasn’t reached swiftly.
Since then, the conclave has become not just a rule, but a ritual — one that emphasizes silence, reflection, and divine guidance. Today, while the cardinals no longer endure a missing roof or meager rations, the essential principles remain. They surrender phones, media access, and external communication. Only prayer, dialogue, and ballots remain.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the pope is “the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful” (CCC 882). The conclave, then, is not just about choosing a leader. It’s about choosing someone capable of preserving the unity and mission of the Church in a fractured world.
For many outside the Catholic Church, the secrecy of the conclave might seem archaic. But in a noisy age of constant opinion and polling, it offers a countercultural witness: Sometimes the most important decisions are made in silence.
Watch preparations of the Sistine Chapel:
