Vatican City, Vatican City – Cardinals go gather soon under Michelangelo’s stunning Sistine Chapel ceiling to elect di next pope after di passing of Pope Francis. This election, held by di College of Cardinals, will see senior Catholic priests, many wey Francis appoint for di past ten years, choose his successor wey go carry out di church’s vision.
More than 220 cardinals dey from over 70 countries, but di group wey go fit vote, di cardinal electors, na just about 120 as those wey don reach 80 years no dey eligible. Dis selection process no just dey ground, but e also take place within 15-20 days after di pope die.
As dem gather, dem go declare “extra omnes” wey mean say everybody else don comot, and na only di voting cardinals plus some officials go dey inside di locked chapel. E go be impossible for dem to contact outside world as dem go hand over diir phones and no newspapers or TVs go dey allowed. Dem even go check di chapel for listening devices before di conclave start.
Di election process go first kick off with mass, after which deliberations and votes go start each day. Votes dey taken in di morning and afternoon until one candidate get two-thirds majority to win. If after 30 ballots nobody still win, dem go elect person wey get simple majority. Di longest papal conclave don last for five days, wey happen in 1922.
Any baptized male fit be chosen as pope, but usually na serving cardinal wey dey selected. In every voting round, electors go get ballots with di words “eligo in summum pontificem” printed on top, where dem go write di name of di person wey dem choose, fold am, and drop am into a chalice.
After every voting, di ballot cards go burn, and chemicals dey added to create either black or white smoke as signs for di world. Black smoke mean say no decision don been made, while white smoke go declare say new pope don emerge.
Di new pope go dey asked if e accept di election and wetin name e wan carry as pontiff. Di cardinals go pledge loyalty to di new pope, wey go enter Room of Tears to wear white cassock and red slippers. Di senior cardinal go step outside to di balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to announce: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam” – “I announce to you with great joy: We have a pope.”
During di interregnum, wen di pope die, di camerlengo, wey be cardinal chamberlain, go manage di affairs of di Vatican till new pope emerge. Na im go oversee eight days of mourning including di pope’s funeral. Dis process dey ongoing, na di time to prepare dis conclave go start.
With over 240 cardinals globally, di discussion dey hotter on who fit succeed Pope Francis. Di cardinals fit vote up to four times each day. If after 33 votes there still no result, di top two candidates go go for a runoff.
Cardinals wey chop more than 80% of di candidates dey appointed by Francis himself. Di current seminary cardinals dey more diverse, wey include representation from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, reflecting di vision of di late pontiff. Candidates wey don dey discussed include Ghana’s Peter Turkson, Philippine Cardinal Luis Tagle, and Hungary’s Peter Erdo.
As di election process dey develop, di public dey want to know wetin to expect and who di next pope go be. Di conclave wey go happen in Sistine Chapel go decide di future of di Catholic Church, wey get about 1.39 billion faithful globally. All eyes dey on Rome as we dey wait for di new leader wey fit continue Pope Francis’s legacy of social justice and inclusivity.
