The process of choosing a new pope is typically a peaceful one, though one conclave over 400 years ago ended in a brawl when cardinals could not decide who to vote for. At the 1605 conclave, cardinals were split between voting for church historian Cesare Baronius or former soldier Domenico Tosco to become the next pope.
They eventually became so fired up that they started pushing and shoving each other, with the commotion being heard from outside the building. In the commotion, elderly Cardinal Visconti suffered several broken bones, marking the only recorded case of an injury at a papal conclave. In the end, neither of the two popular candidates were chosen, with the cardinals instead opting for someone both sides could agree with.
This is how Cardinal Camillo Borghese assumed the papacy, during which time he was known as Pope Paul V.
Frederic J. Baumgartner, author of Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections said the 1605 conclave was “the only case of that kind of violence in a conclave, in which someone is actually injured”.
He continued: “There’s an occasional example of pushing and shouting, but for the most part, these are elderly men [who] don’t have the energy to invest too much time in pushing and shouting.”
This was also the second conclave of 1605, with the previous one wrapping up just 37 days later, electing Pope Leo XI, who had one of the most brief pontificates in history before his death due to fatigue and cold.
The current conclave is now gearing up to pick Pope Francis’ successor, starting on May 7. Cardinals from all over the world will travel to Rome and stay until a new pope is chosen.
Of the 252 cardinals, there are 133 cardinal electors – those under the age of 80 – including 53 from Europe and 18 from Africa.
While holding voting sessions, the cardinals will sleep in the Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse inside the Vatican’s grounds. They are also unable to communicate with the outside world, meaning phones, internet access and newspapers are not allowed.
On the first day, one ballot is held. After this, the cardinals hold two daily votes until one candidate has a majority of two-thirds plus one.
If the cardinals fail to reach a majority, the cards and tally sheets are burned in a stove with an additive to produce black smoke, signalling to the world that a pope has not been chosen.
When enough have agreed on a candidate, he is asked if he accepts the papacy and by which name he wishes to be known. The ballots are then burned with an additive to produce white smoke that announces a new pope has been selected.
