(LifeSiteNews) — As all eyes turn to Rome for the papal conclave, many are curious about some of the strict procedures the College of Cardinals must adhere to when electing a pope. It’s worth looking at some noteworthy historical conclaves and their impact on today’s conclave procedures.
It may shock readers to learn that today’s conclave procedures, which include sealing the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel and barring them from having any communication with the outside world, stemmed from lax procedures of the early Church that led to secular interference and lengthy interregnums, including one for nearly three years.
READ: No new pope after first conclave vote: black smoke at the Vatican
Historical records indicate that papal elections for the first millennium of Church history lacked the strict rules we see enforced today, and typically only had local bishops serving as electors. These elections were often marked with interference from secular leaders like the Holy Roman and Byzantine emperors, who confirmed the election of a pontiff before they could take power.
The 1061 papal election
In order to crack down on this secular interference, Pope Nicholas II, in 1059, promulgated the papal bull In Nomine Domini, which finally established rules and procedures for papal elections. Most significantly, the bull stipulated that only cardinals-bishops would be permitted to elect the Roman pontiff at the pain of excommunication.
The papal bull would be put into effect two years later in 1061, when, after Nicholas’ death, the first election was convened using these guidelines. Only six bishops gathered for this papal election, and ironically, in this first election in which only cardinals could cast a vote, they elected a non-cardinal, Bishop Anselmo de Baggio of Luca, who became Pope Alexander II.
Change in voting procedures at the Third Lateran Council
The Third Lateran Council of 1179, during the pontificate of Pope Alexander III, established a two-thirds majority requirement to elect the Roman pontiff, which remains in place today. However, just a century later, this requirement would lead to the longest papal election in history.
Three-year sede vacante from 1268 to 1271
Roughly 200 years later, in 1268, the College of Cardinals convened in Viterbo, Italy, to elect Pope Clement IV’s successor. Sharply divided into pro-German and pro-French political factions, the cardinals became so deadlocked that almost three years later a new pontiff had still not been elected.
As the laity grew increasingly impatient over the three-year period of sede vacante, the local magistrate decided to give the prelates a nudge, locking them in the episcopal palace, removing the roof, and only allowing them to take bread and water for meals until a pope was elected. Finally, the cardinals elected Pope Gregory X.
Establishment of strict conclave measures at the Second Council of Lyons
During Gregory’s pontificate, the Second Council of Lyons established strict procedures to avoid another multiyear papal election. These included the requirement that the cardinals would meet in a conclave — meaning ” with a key,” in Latin — have no communication with the outside world, and would not be free to leave until a new pontiff had been elected. Any cardinal found to have sent a message to the outside world or met secretly with other cardinals would receive an automatic excommunication.
Perhaps harsher yet, the Council stipulated that if a new pope hadn’t been chosen after three days, the cardinals would only be permitted to have one dish of food at breakfast and dinner. And if five days had passed without a pontiff being selected, the cardinals would only be given bread, wine, and water until they elected a pope.
READ: EXPLAINER: The strict rules of the conclave and why the Catholic Church has them
The rules limiting the cardinals’ food only remained in effect until the mid-1300s when Pope Clement VI, recognizing that cardinals would need their strength to get through the conclave, relaxed these procedures and allowed them to have three regular meals. While the cardinals are now able to enjoy regular meals during the conclave, the stipulations keeping the cardinals “locked in” the Sistine Chapel until they select a new pontiff, as well as the barring of all outside communication at the pain of automatic excommunication, remain in full force.
Pope Paul VI’s age requirements change
Jumping to more recent times, Pope Paul VI in 1970 promulgated the motu proprio Engravescentem Aetatem, which stipulated that only cardinals under the age of 80 would be eligible to vote in or enter a papal conclave. Cardinals over 80 maintain their offices and are still free to attend pre-conclave activities but cannot enter the conclave.
Per these rules, Cardinal Joseph Zen, 93, is unable to partake in the ongoing conclave but was still able to meet with his brother cardinals in Rome in the days preceding the conclave. Cardinal Robert Sarah, on the other hand, will turn 80 in June, so he just made the cutoff to cast votes in this conclave.
LifeSiteNews will have ongoing coverage of the papal election as the voting continues this week.
