Test Your Intuition 59 : The Conclave Process

When the papacy becomes vacant, a new pope is elected through a procedure known as the conclave. Cardinal-electors from around the world gather in the Sistine Chapel and vote in successive rounds. In each round, every elector casts one ballot for a candidate. If some candidate receives at least two-thirds of the votes, the conclave ends and that candidate is elected pope; otherwise, the ballots are burned and another round is held. The most recent papal conclave took place from May 7 to May 8, 2025, in the Sistine Chapel. It ended on the second day of voting when the College of Cardinals elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th pope, who chose the name Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo XIV has a B. S. degree in mathematics. There is a well-known movie about the conclave. Conclave (2024), directed by Edward Berger, is a political thriller detailing the election of a new Pope following the unexpected death of the previous pontiff. The film focuses on Cardinal Lawrence, played by Ralph…