Can anyone become a pope?

Becoming the pope, the head of the Catholic Church, is an aspiration that many faithful Catholics may have at some point. However, it is not an easy or straightforward process. The pope has immense responsibility as the successor of St. Peter and Vicar of Christ on earth. He leads over 1 billion Catholics worldwide and must meet high standards of character, faith, intellect, and leadership ability. So who exactly is eligible to become pope, and what does the process entail? Let’s take a closer look.

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What are the requirements to become pope?

The basic requirements for becoming pope are:

Being a baptized Catholic male
Having entered the clergy and advanced to at least bishop

More specifically, canon law states that any Catholic male who has been ordained as a priest and consecrated as a bishop is eligible for election as pope. There are no official age requirements, although popes tend to be elected after age 50. Nationality does not matter either, although historically most popes have been Italian.

Beyond these formal requirements, there are several practical considerations. Realistically speaking, a potential pope needs:

Extensive pastoral experience as a priest and bishop
Theological expertise and advanced education

Strong leadership and administrative skills
Diplomatic savvy and language abilities
Good health and stamina

Very few Catholic clergy meet all these criteria. Those who do usually receive additional scrutiny as possible future papal candidates.

What is the process for becoming pope?

The pope is elected through a centuries-old process called a papal conclave. When a pope dies or resigns, cardinals from around the world gather in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican for the conclave. Voting continues in rounds until one candidate receives at least a two-thirds majority.

Here are the key steps in the papal election process:

The papacy becomes vacant (sede vacante).
Cardinals worldwide are summoned to the conclave in Rome.
The conclave begins with a Mass and oath of secrecy.

Cardinals are locked inside the Sistine Chapel for voting.
Ballots are cast in rounds until a two-thirds majority emerges.
Ballots are burned after each round to produce black or white smoke.

The new pope accepts election and chooses a papal name.
The new pope is introduced to the world.

This carefully orchestrated process often takes several days. The conclave of 2013, which elected Pope Francis, lasted five ballots over two days.

Who are the cardinals who vote?

Only the cardinals of the Catholic Church are eligible to vote in a papal conclave. Currently there are about 200 cardinals worldwide. They serve as the pope’s chief advisors and administrators of church affairs in their regions.

To become a cardinal, a priest or bishop is personally selected by the reigning pope. This honor is usually bestowed in recognition of longtime service and leadership. Most cardinals are bishops who lead archdioceses, but some remain priests.

While all cardinals under age 80 can vote, only those under 65 are considered likely papal candidates. This reflects the desire for popes who can meet the job’s demanding physical requirements.

How does the voting process work?

Voting takes place under strict procedures to prevent outside influencing. Each cardinal writes his choice on a secret paper ballot. These ballots are counted, burned, and then white smoke emerges from a chimney to signal a new pope’s election.

If no candidate gains the required two-thirds after multiple rounds, the ballots are burned with chemicals to produce black smoke. This signals another vote is needed. The conclave continues in this manner until one candidate emerges victorious.

All proceedings take place under complete secrecy and outside communication is prohibited. This allows cardinals to make their decisions freely without undue influence.

How likely is it for someone to become pope?

The chances of any given Catholic clergyman being elected pope are extremely slim. Let’s consider a statistical perspective:

There are about 5,000 Catholic bishops worldwide
Of those, only 200 or so are cardinals at any given time

Of those, only about 120 are eligible to vote in a conclave, being under age 80
In recent history, the elected pope has always been a cardinal himself

So out of nearly 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, the pool of possible popes is small. Even becoming a cardinal does not guarantee ascent to the papacy. And before that, one must be accepted into the priesthood and consecrated as a bishop.

However, it is possible for a relative unknown to be elected pope if the cardinals desire change. Still, in modern times every pope has had decades of prior experience within the church hierarchy.

Has any pope been elected unexpectedly?

There have been a few surprising papal elections where a lesser known candidate emerged unexpectedly:

Pope John Paul I – In 1978, Albino Luciani was elected after four ballots over two days. The quick consensus for the understated cardinal surprised many.

Pope John XXIII – In 1958, Angelo Roncalli was elected on the 11th ballot after several leading candidates were deadlocked. The kindly Roncalli was expected to be an interim pope at age 76.
Pope Pius XII – In 1939, Eugenio Pacelli won on the third ballot. He was the first Vatican Secretary of State elected pope since the 18th century.

These lesser expected choices were made by cardinals seeking change or compromise after lengthy conclaves. However, in most modern conclaves a clear frontrunner has emerged who was well known before being elected.

Conclusion

Becoming pope requires an uncommon combination of qualities, experience, and circumstance. Considering the estimated thousands of Catholic bishops worldwide, very few are seriously considered for the papacy at any time.

While technically any baptized male Catholic can be elected, in practice viable candidates have extensive pastoral and leadership experience. They must be skilled theologians and diplomats capable of meeting the role’s demands.

The election itself must align global preferences among cardinals deadlocked over frontrunners. This explains why relative longshots can occasionally be chosen, given the right conditions.

So in summary – yes, technically any bishop could get elected if enough cardinals supported him. But the realities of global Catholic politics make this very unlikely unless that candidate is already distinguished within church leadership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the pope have to be Italian?

No, there is no requirement that the pope be Italian. However, Italians dominated the papacy for centuries. Nearly 200 popes were Italian prior to the election of Pope John Paul II, a Pole, in 1978. Today nationality is less important, but Italy still has the most cardinals.

Can priests become pope?

Yes, though it is extremely rare. Technically, a priest can be elected pope as long as they are ordained and consecrated as bishop prior to accepting the election. The last priest elected directly to pope was Gregory XVI in 1831.

Has there ever been a non-Catholic pope?

No, all popes have been Catholic, though historical antipopes challenged their legitimacy. Sometimes former priests of another faith have converted and gone on to become pope, like Pope Pius IX who was raised Jewish.

Who was the first pope?

St. Peter is considered the first pope, though the title was not used formally until a few centuries later. As head of the apostles, Peter was the first to lead the early Christian church in Rome after the death of Jesus.

Has a pope ever resigned?

Yes, a few popes in history have resigned, most recently Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. He cited declining health and energy as his reason for stepping down.

How old is the current pope?

Pope Francis, who was elected in 2013, is currently 86 years old as of October 2023. He is the first pope from the Americas.

Key Facts and Statistics

There are currently over 5,000 Catholic bishops worldwide
Around 200 cardinals exist at any given time

About 120 cardinals are eligible to vote in a papal conclave
Popes elected since 1900 have typically been in their 60s or 70s
The last priest elected pope was Gregory XVI in 1831

The last pope to resign was Benedict XVI in 2013

Notable Quotes

“The Pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary: the Pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word.” – Pope Benedict XVI

“The Catholic Church has seldom perfectly conformed to the spirit of her founder. That of Rome has least exemplified it and has often most widely departed from it.” – Thomas Babington Macaulay